From: 1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-49

The Manner of the Resurrection of the Dead

[35] But some one will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body
do they come?” [36] You foolish man! What you sow does not come to life un-
less it dies. [37] And what you sow is not the body which is to be, but a bare
kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.

[42] So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what
is raised is imperishable. [43] It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is
sown in weakness, it is raised in power. [44] It is sown a physical body, it is
raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body.

[45] Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam
became a life-giving spirit. [46] But it is not the spiritual which is first but the phy-
sical, and then the spiritual. [47] The first man was from the earth, a man of dust;
the second man is from heaven. [48] As was the man of dust, so are those who
are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven.
[49] Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the
image of the man of heaven. [50] I tell you this, brethren: flesh and blood cannot
inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

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Commentary:

35-38. Now that he has shown that the dead will rise, St Paul goes on to deal
with what form this resurrection will take. He postulates certain questions (v. 35)
and replies to them using comparisons taken from the vegetable, animal and mi-
neral worlds, to help explain what this resurrection involves (vv. 36-41). He goes
on to describe the qualities of the risen body (vv. 42-44), referring in particular to
one of those qualities, its spiritual nature or “subtility” (vv. 44-50). He then des-
cribes the circumstances in which the general resurrection will take place (vv.
51-53), and he ends with a hymn of joy and thanksgiving for all these wonders
of God (vv. 54-58).

36-41. The Apostle uses the analogy of a seed to explain what resurrection in-
volves: just as a seed has to corrupt in order to yield new life, the body has to
die in order to be raised up. In the process of becoming a new plant the seed
takes on a new form: the plant is something distinct from the original seed; si-
milarly, risen bodies will be endowed with new qualities which they did not have
during their mortal life (cf. note on vv. 42-44).

By referring to the difference in the flesh of different animals and to the way that
one star shines differently from another, St Paul is trying to explain that risen bo-
dies are also differentiated, the differences being a function of charity (cf. “St
Pius V Catechism”, I, 12, 13).

42-44. These verses are the basis of tile Church’s teaching about the qualities of
glorified bodies-impassibility or incorruptibility, glory or brightness, power or agi-
lity, subtility or spirituality. This is what the “St Pius V Catechism” has to say on
the subject: “The bodies of the risen saints will be distinguished by certain trans-
cendent endowments, which will ennoble them far beyond their former condition.
Among these endowments four are specially mentioned by the Fathers, which
they infer from the doctrine of St Paul and which are called ‘gifts’.

“The first endowment or gift is impassibility, which shall place them beyond the
reach of suffering anything disagreeable or of being affected by pain or inconve-
nience of any sort [...]. ‘What is sown’ says the Apostle, ‘is perishable, what is
raised is imperishable’ (1 Cor 15:42) [...]. The next quality is brightness, by which
the bodies of the saints shall shine like the sun [...]. This quality the Apostle
sometimes calls “glory”. [...] This brightness is a sort of radiance reflected on
the body from the supreme happiness of the soul. It is a participation in that bliss
which the soul enjoys, just as the soul itself is rendered happy by a participation
in the happiness of God. Unlike the gift of impassibility, this quality is not com-
mon to all in the same degree. All the bodies of the saints will be equally impas-
sible; but the brightness of all will not be the same, for, according to the Apostle,
‘there is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory
of the stars, for star differs from star in glory’ (1 Cor 15:41-42).

“To the preceding quality is united that which is called agility, by which the body
will be freed from the heaviness that now presses it down, and will take on a ca-
pability of moving with the utmost ease and swiftness, wherever the soul pleases
[...]. Hence these words of the Apostle: ‘It is sown in weakness, it is raised in
glory’ (1 Cor 15:43). Another quality is that of subtility, which subjects the body
to the dominion of the soul, so that the body shall be subject to the soul and ever
ready to follow her desires. This quality we learn from these words of the Apostle:
‘It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body” (1 Cor 15:44)” (I, 12, 13).

The bodies of the reprobate do not have these qualities proper to glorified bodies
(cf. “St Pius X Catechism”, 246).

44-50. The Apostle develops what he has said about those who rise having spiri-
tual bodies—which might seem to be a self-contradictory notion. Through descent
from Adam, whose body was formed from the dust of the earth (cf. Gen 2:7), men
receive an earthly animal body which is destined to perish; Christ, the new Adam,
when he comes again will give his own a heavenly body, perfect and immortal: “It
is called a spiritual body,” St Augustine says, “not because it has become a spi-
rit but because it is in such a way subject to the spirit, to fit it for its heavenly
abode, that every kind of earthly weakness and imperfection is changed into a
heavenly permanence (”De Fide Et Symbolo”, chap. VI).

Even in this present life the Christian should strive to reflect this image of “the
man of heaven”, by reproducing in himself the life of Christ: having died to sin
through Baptism he has already been raised with Christ to a new life (cf. Col 3:
1-4). Christ’s resurrection, St Thomas Aquinas explains, “is an exemplary cause
with regard to the resurrection of souls, because even in our souls we must be
conformed with the risen Christ, the Apostle says (Rom 6:4-11): ‘Christ was rai-
sed from the dead by the glory of the Father, that we too might walk in newness
of life [...]. Christ being raised from the dead shall never die again [...] so you al-
so must consider yourselves dead to sin’, so that you ‘might live with him’ (1
Thess 5:10)” (”Summa Theologiae”, III, q. 56, a. 2).

45. Commenting on this verse, St John of Avila explains that “God created the
first man and blew into his face, he gave him the breath of life, and he became a
living being. “Et factus est primus Adam in animam viventem, novissimus Adam
in spiritum vivificantem” (1 Cor 15:45). The second Adam was made, Jesus Christ,
and not only was he given and did he have life for himself like the first Adam, but
he had it for many others. Christ has a living spirit, a life-giving spirit which raises
up those of us who desire to live. Let us go to Christ, let us seek Christ, who has
the breath of life. No matter how evil you be, how lost, how disorientated, if you
go to him, if you seek him, he will make you well, he will win you over and set
you right and heal you” (”Sermon on Pentecost Sunday”).

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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Luke 8:4-15

Parable of the Sower. The Meaning of the Parables

[4] And when a great crowd came together and people from town after town came
to Him (Jesus), He said in a parable: [5] “A sower went out to sow his seed; and
as he sowed, some fell along the path, and was trodden under foot, and the birds
of the air devoured it. [6] And some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered
away, because it had no moisture. [7] And some fell among thorns; and the thorns
grew with it and choked it. [8] And some fell into good soil and grew, and yielded
a hundredfold.” As He said this, He called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him
hear.”

[9] And when His disciples asked Him what this parable meant, [10] He said,
“To you it has been given to know the secrets of the Kingdom of God; but for
others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they
may not understand. [11] Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
[12] The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes
and takes away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe and be
saved. [13] And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word,
receive it with joy; but these have no root, they believe for a while and in time of
temptation fall away. [14] And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those
who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches
and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. [15] And as for that in the
good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and
good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

4-8. Our Lord explains this parable in verses 11-15. The seed is Jesus Himself
and His preaching; and the different kinds of ground it falls on reflect people’s
different attitudes to Jesus and His teaching. Our Lord sows the life of grace in
souls through the preaching of the Church and through an endless flow of actual
graces.

10-12. Jesus uses parables to teach people the mysteries of the supernatural
life and thereby lead them to salvation. However, He foresaw that, due to the bad
dispositions of some of His listeners, these parables would lead them to harden
their hearts and to reject grace. For a fuller explanation of the purpose of para-
bles see the notes on Matthew 13:10-13 and Mark 4:11-12.

12. Some people are so immersed in a life of sin that they are the patch on
which falls the seed “which suffers from two kinds of hazard: it is trodden on by
wayfarers and snatched by birds. The path, therefore, is the heart, which is trod-
den on by the frequent traffic of evil thoughts, and cannot take in the seed and
let it germinate because it is so dried up” (St. Bede, “In Lucae Evangelium Ex-
positio, in loc.”). Souls hardened by sin can become good soil and bear fruit
through sincere repentance and penance. We should note the effort the devil
makes to prevent souls from being converted.

13. “Many people are pleased by what they hear, and they resolve to do good;
but as soon as they experience difficulties they give up the good words they
started. Stony ground has not enough soil, which is why the shoots fail to pro-
duce fruit. There are many who, when they hear greed criticized, do conceive a
loathing for it and extol the scorning of it; but as soon as the soul sees some-
thing else that it desires, it forgets what it previously promised. There are also
others who when they hear talk against impurity not only desire not to be
stained by the filth of the flesh but are even ashamed of the stains that they
already bear; but as soon as bodily beauty presents itself to their eyes, their
heart is so drawn by desires that it is as if they had done or decided to do no-
thing against these desires, and they act in a manner deserving condemnation
and in a way which they themselves previously condemned when they reflec-
ted on their behavior. Very often we feel compunction for our faults and yet we
go back and commit them even after bemoaning them” (St. Gregory the Great,
“In Evangelia Homiliae”, 15).

14. This is the case of people who after receiving the divine seed, the Christian
calling, and having stayed on the right path for some time, begin to give up the
struggle. These souls run the risk of developing a distaste for the things of God
and of taking the easy, and wrong, way of seeking compensations suggested
to them by their disordered ambition for power and their desire for material
wealth and a comfortable life involving no suffering.

A person in this situation begins to be lukewarm and tries to serve two masters:
“It is wrong to have two candles lighted—one to St. Michael and another to the
devil. We must snuff out the devil’s candle; we must spend our lives completely
in the service of the Lord. If our desire for holiness is sincere, if we are docile
enough to place ourselves in God’s hands, everything will go well. For He is
always ready to give us His grace” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 59).

15. Jesus tells us that the good soil has three features—listening to God’s de-
mands with the good disposition of a generous heart; striving to ensure that one
does not water down these demands as time goes by; and, finally, beginning
and beginning again and not being disheartened if the fruit is slow to appear.
“You cannot ‘rise’. It’s not surprising: that fall!

“Persevere and you will ‘rise’. Remember what a spiritual writer has said: your
poor soul is like a bird whose wings are caked with mud.

“Suns of heaven are needed and personal efforts, small and constant, to shake
off those inclinations, those vain fancies, that depression: that mud clinging to
your wings.

“And you will see yourself free. If you persevere, you will ‘rise’” (St. J. Escriva,
“The Way”, 991).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading
1 Corinthians 15:35-37,42-49 ©

The resurrected body is heavenly by nature

Someone may ask, ‘How are dead people raised, and what sort of body do they have when they come back?’ They are stupid questions. Whatever you sow in the ground has to die before it is given new life and the thing that you sow is not what is going to come; you sow a bare grain, say of wheat or something like that, It is the same with the resurrection of the dead: the thing that is sown is perishable but what is raised is imperishable; the thing that is sown is contemptible but what is raised is glorious; the thing that is sown is weak but what is raised is powerful; when it is sown it embodies the soul, when it is raised it embodies the spirit.

If the soul has its own embodiment, so does the spirit have its own embodiment. The first man, Adam, as scripture says, became a living soul; but the last Adam has become a life-giving spirit. That is, first the one with the soul, not the spirit, and after that, the one with the spirit. The first man, being from the earth, is earthly by nature; the second man is from heaven. As this earthly man was, so are we on earth; and as the heavenly man is, so are we in heaven. And we, who have been modelled on the earthly man, will be modelled on the heavenly man.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 55(56):10-14 ©

I shall walk in the presence of God in the light of the living.

My foes will be put to flight

on the day that I call to you.

This I know, that God is on my side.

I shall walk in the presence of God in the light of the living.

In God, whose word I praise,

in the Lord whose word I praise,

in God I trust; I shall not fear;

what can mortal man do to me?

I shall walk in the presence of God in the light of the living.

I am bound by the vows I have made you.

O God, I will offer you praise

for you have rescued my soul from death,

you kept my feet from stumbling

that I may walk in the presence of God

and enjoy the light of the living.

I shall walk in the presence of God in the light of the living.

Gospel Acclamation	Ps118:18

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open my eyes, O Lord, that I may consider

the wonders of your law.

Alleluia!

Or:	cf.Lk8:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are those who,

with a noble and generous heart,

take the word of God to themselves

and yield a harvest through their perseverance.

Alleluia!

Gospel	Luke 8:4-15 ©

The parable of the sower

With a large crowd gathering and people from every town finding their way to him, Jesus used this parable:

‘A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell on the edge of the path and was trampled on; and the birds of the air ate it up. Some seed fell on rock, and when it came up it withered away, having no moisture. Some seed fell amongst thorns and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell into rich soil and grew and produced its crop a hundredfold.’ Saying this he cried, ‘Listen, anyone who has ears to hear!’

His disciples asked him what this parable might mean, and he said, ‘The mysteries of the kingdom of God are revealed to you; for the rest there are only parables, so that

they may see but not perceive,

listen but not understand.

‘This, then, is what the parable means: the seed is the word of God. Those on the edge of the path are people who have heard it, and then the devil comes and carries away the word from their hearts in case they should believe and be saved. Those on the rock are people who, when they first hear it, welcome the word with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of trial they give up. As for the part that fell into thorns, this is people who have heard, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life and do not reach maturity. As for the part in the rich soil, this is people with a noble and generous heart who have heard the word and take it to themselves and yield a harvest through their perseverance.’

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 8
4.	And when a very great multitude was gathered together, and hastened out of the cities unto him, he spoke by a similitude.	Cum autem turba plurima convenirent, et de civitatibus properarent ad eum, dixit per similitudinem :	συνιοντος δε οχλου πολλου και των κατα πολιν επιπορευομενων προς αυτον ειπεν δια παραβολης
5.	The sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.	Exiit qui seminat, seminare semen suum. Et dum seminat, aliud cecidit secus viam, et conculcatum est, et volucres cæli comederunt illud.	εξηλθεν ο σπειρων του σπειραι τον σπορον αυτου και εν τω σπειρειν αυτον ο μεν επεσεν παρα την οδον και κατεπατηθη και τα πετεινα του ουρανου κατεφαγεν αυτο
6.	And other some fell upon a rock: and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.	Et aliud cecidit supra petrum : et natum aruit, quia non habebat humorem.	και ετερον επεσεν επι την πετραν και φυεν εξηρανθη δια το μη εχειν ικμαδα
7.	And other some fell among thorns, and the thorns growing up with it, choked it.	Et aliud cecidit inter spinas, et simul exortæ spinæ suffocaverunt illud.	και ετερον επεσεν εν μεσω των ακανθων και συμφυεισαι αι ακανθαι απεπνιξαν αυτο
8.	And other some fell upon good ground; and being sprung up, yielded fruit a hundredfold. Saying these things, he cried out: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.	Et aliud cecidit in terram bonam : et ortum fecit fructum centuplum. Hæc dicens clamabat : Qui habet aures audiendi, audiat.	και ετερον επεσεν εις την γην την αγαθην και φυεν εποιησεν καρπον εκατονταπλασιονα ταυτα λεγων εφωνει ο εχων ωτα ακουειν ακουετω
9.	And his disciples asked him what this parable might be.	Interrogabant autem eum discipuli ejus, quæ esset hæc parabola.	επηρωτων δε αυτον οι μαθηται αυτου λεγοντες τις ειη η παραβολη αυτη
10.	To whom he said: To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to the rest in parables, that seeing they may not see, and hearing may not understand.	Quibus ipse dixit : Vobis datum est nosse mysterium regni Dei, ceteris autem in parabolis : ut videntes non videant, et audientes non intelligant.	ο δε ειπεν υμιν δεδοται γνωναι τα μυστηρια της βασιλειας του θεου τοις δε λοιποις εν παραβολαις ινα βλεποντες μη βλεπωσιν και ακουοντες μη συνιωσιν
11.	Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.	Est autem hæc parabola : Semen est verbum Domini.	εστιν δε αυτη η παραβολη ο σπορος εστιν ο λογος του θεου
12.	And they by the way side are they that hear; then the devil cometh, and taketh the word out of their heart, lest believing they should be saved.	Qui autem secus viam, hi sunt qui audiunt : deinde venit diabolus, et tollit verbum de corde eorum, ne credentes salvi fiant.	οι δε παρα την οδον εισιν οι ακουοντες ειτα ερχεται ο διαβολος και αιρει τον λογον απο της καρδιας αυτων ινα μη πιστευσαντες σωθωσιν
13.	Now they upon the rock, are they who when they hear, receive the word with joy: and these have no roots; for they believe for a while, and in time of temptation, they fall away.	Nam qui supra petram, qui cum audierint, cum gaudio suscipiunt verbum : et hi radices non habent : qui ad tempus credunt, et in tempore tentationis recedunt.	οι δε επι της πετρας οι οταν ακουσωσιν μετα χαρας δεχονται τον λογον και ουτοι ριζαν ουκ εχουσιν οι προς καιρον πιστευουσιν και εν καιρω πειρασμου αφιστανται
14.	And that which fell among thorns, are they who have heard, and going their way, are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and yield no fruit.	Quod autem in spinas cecidit : hi sunt qui audierunt, et a sollicitudinibus, et divitiis, et voluptatibus vitæ euntes, suffocantur, et non referunt fructum.	το δε εις τας ακανθας πεσον ουτοι εισιν οι ακουσαντες και υπο μεριμνων και πλουτου και ηδονων του βιου πορευομενοι συμπνιγονται και ου τελεσφορουσιν
15.	But that on the good ground, are they who in a good and perfect heart, hearing the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit in patience.	Quod autem in bonam terram : hi sunt qui in corde bono et optimo audientes verbum retinent, et fructum afferunt in patientia.	το δε εν τη καλη γη ουτοι εισιν οιτινες εν καρδια καλη και αγαθη ακουσαντες τον λογον κατεχουσιν και καρποφορουσιν εν υπομονη

4. And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spoke by a parable:
5. A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
6. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
7. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
8. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit a hundred-fold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that has ears to hear, let him hear.
9. And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
10. And he said, to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
11. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
12. Those by the way side are they that hear; then comes the devil, and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
14. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
15. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

THEOPHYL. That which David had foretold in the person of Christ, I will open my mouth in parables, the Lord here fulfills; as it is said, And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spoke by a parable. But the Lord speaks by a parable, first indeed that He may make His hearers more attentive. For men were accustomed to exercise their minds on dark sayings, and to despise what was plain; and next, that the unworthy might not receive what was spokes mystically.

ORIGEN; And therefore it is significantly said, When much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city. For not many but few there are who walk the strait road, and find the way which leads to life. Hence Matthew says, that He taught without the house by parables, but within the house explained the parable to His disciples.

EUSEBIUS; Now Christ most fitly puts forth His first parable to the multitude not only of those who then stood by, but of those also who were to come after them, inducing them to listen to His words, saying, A sower went out to sow his seed.

THEOPHYL; The sower we can conceive to be none other but the Son of God, Who going forth from His Father's bosom, whither no creature had attained, came into the world that He might bear witness to the truth.

CHRYS, Now His going, Who is every where, was not local, but through the vale of the flesh He approached us. But Christ fitly denominates His advent, His going forth. For we were aliens from God, and cast out as criminals, and rebels to the king, but he who wishes to reconcile man, going out to them, speaks to them without, until having become meet for the royal presence, He brings them within; so also did Christ.

THEOPHYL. But He went out now, not to destroy the husbandmen, or to burn up the earth, but He went out to sow. For oftimes the husbandman who sows, goes out for some other cause, not only to sow.

EUSEBIUS; Some went out from the heavenly country and descended among men, not however to sow, for they were not sowers, but ministering Spirits sent forth to minister. Moses also and the prophets after him did not plant in men the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but by keeping back the foolish from the error of iniquity, and the worship of idols, they tilled as it were the souls of men, and brought them into cultivation. But the only Sower of all, the Word of God, went out to sow the new seed of the Gospel, that is, the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

THEOPHYL. But the Son of God never ceases to sow in our hearts, for not only when teaching, but creating, He sows good seed in our hearts.

TIT. BOST. But He went out to sow His seed, He receives not the word as borrowed, for He is by nature the Word of the living God. The seed is not then of Paul, or of John, but they have it because they have received it. Christ has His own seed, drawing forth His teaching from His own nature. Hence also the Jews said, How knows this man letters, having never learned?

EUSEBIUS; He teaches therefore that there are two classes of those who received the seed; the first, of those who have been made worthy of the heavenly calling, but fall from grace through carelessness and sloth; but the second, of those who multiply the seed bearing good fruit. But according to Matthew he makes three divisions in each class. For those who corrupt the seed have not all the same manner of destruction, and those who bear fruit from it do not receive an equal abundance. He wisely sets forth the cases of those who lose the seed. For some though they have not sinned, have lost the good seed implanted in their hearts, through its having been withdrawn from their thoughts and memory by evil spirits, and devils who fly through the air; or deceitful and cunning men, whom He calls the birds of the air. Hence it follows, And as he sowed, some fell by the way side.

THEOPHYL. He said not that the sower threw some on the way side, but that it fell by the way side. For he who sows taught the right word, but the word falls in different ways upon the hearers, so that some of them are called the way side: and it was trodden down, and the birds of the air devoured it.

CYRIL; For every way side is in some measure dry and uncultivated, because it is trodden down by all men, and no seed gains moisture on it. So the divine warning reaches not the unteachable heart, that it should bring forth the praise of virtue. These then are the ways frequented by unclean spirits. There are again some who bear faith about them, as if it consisted in the nakedness of words; their faith is without root, of whom it is added, And some fell upon a rock, and as soon as it sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

THEOPHYL; The rock, he says, is the hard and unsubdued heart. Now the moisture at the root of the seed is the same as what is called in another parable, the oil to trim the lamps of the virgins, that is, love and steadfastness in virtue.

EUSEBIUS; There are also some who through covetousness, the desire of pleasure and worldly cares, which indeed Christ calls thorns, suffer the seed which has been sown in them to be choked.

CHRYS. For as the thorns do not let the seed grow up, but when it has been sown choke it by thickening round it, so the cares of this present life permit not the seed to bear fruit. But in things of sense the husbandman must be reproved who would sow amid thorns on a rock and the way side, for it is impossible that the rocks should become earth, the way not be a way, the thorns not be thorns. But in rational things it is otherwise. For it is possible that the rock should be converted into a fruitful soil, the way not be trodden down, the thorns dispersed.

CYRIL; Now the rich and fruitful ground is the honest and good hearts which receive deeply the seeds of the word, and retain them and cherish them. And whatever is added to this, And some fell upon good ground and springing up, brought forth fruit a hundred-fold. For when the divine word is poured into a soul free from all anxieties, then it strikes root deep, and sends forth as it were the ear, and in its due season comes to perfection.

THEOPHYL; For by fruit a hundred-fold, he means perfect fruit. For the number ten is always taken to imply perfection, because in ten precepts is contained the keeping, or the observance of the law. But the number ten multiplied by itself amounts to a hundred; hence by a hundred very great perfection is signified.

CYRIL; But what the meaning of the parable is, let us hear from him who made it, as it follows, And when he had said these things, he cried, He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

BASIL; Hearing has reference to the understanding. By this then our Lord stirs us up to listen attentively to the meaning of those things which are spoken.

THEOPHYL; For as often as the admonition occurs either in the Gospel or the Revelation of St. John, it signifies that there is a mystical meaning in what is said, and we must inquire more closely into it. Hence the disciples who were ignorant ask our Savior, for it follows, And his disciples asked him, &c. But let no one suppose that as soon as the parable was finished His disciples asked Him, but, as Mark says, When he was alone they asked him.

ORIGEN; Now a parable is a narration of an action as done, yet not done according to the letter, though it might have been, representing certain things by means of others which are given in the parable. An enigma is a continued story of things which are spoken of as done, and yet have not been done, nor are possible to be done, but contains a concealed meaning, as that which is mentioned in the Book of Judges, that the trees went forth to anoint a king over them. But it was not literally a fact as is said, A sower went out to sow, like those facts related in history, yet it might have been so.

EUSEBIUS; But our Lord told them the reason why He spoke to the multitudes in parables, as follows, And he said, to you it is given to know the mysteries of God.

GREG. NAZ. When you hear this you must not entertain the notion of different natures, as certain heretics do, who think that some men indeed are of a perishing nature, others of a saving nature, but that some are so constituted that their will leads them to better or worse. But add to the words, To you it is given, if willing and truly worthy.

THEOPHYL. But to those who are unworthy of such mysteries, they are obscurely spoken. Hence it follows, But to the rest in parables, that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. For they think they see, but see not, and hear indeed, but do not understand. For this reason Christ hides this from them, lest they should beget a greater prejudice against them, if after they had known the mysteries of Christ, they despised them. For he who understands and afterwards despises, shall be more severely punished.

THEOPHYL; Rightly then do they hear in parables, who having closed the senses of their heart, care not to know the truth, forgetful of what the Lord told them. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

GREG. But our Lord condescended to explain what He said, that we might know how to seek for explanation- in those things which He is unwilling to explain through Himself. For it follows, Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

EUSEB. Now He says, that there are three reasons why men destroy the seed implanted in their hearts. For some destroy the seed that is hid in them by lightly giving heed to those that wish to deceive, of whom He adds, Those by the way side are they that hear: their comes the devil, and takes away the word out of their hearts. .

THEOPHYL; Who in truth deign to receive the word which they hear with no faith, with no understanding at least with no attempt to test the value of it.

EUSEB. But some there are who having not received the word in any depth of heart, are soon overcome when adversity assails them, of whom it is added, They on the rock are they which when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

CYRIL; For when the, enter the Church they gladly wait on the divine mysteries, but with infirmity of purpose. But when they leave the Church they forget the sacred discipline, and as long as Christians are undisturbed, their faith is lasting; but when persecution harasses, their heart fails them, for their faith was without root.

GREG. Many men propose to begin a good work, but as soon as they have become annoyed by adversity or temptation, they abandon what they had begun. The rocky ground then had no moisture to carry on to constancy fruit which it had put forth.

EUSEB. But some choke the seed which has been deposited in them with riches and vain delights, as if with choking thorns, of whom it is added, And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches of this life, &c.

GREG. It is wonderful that the Lord has represented riches as thorns, for these prick, while those delight, and yet they are thorns, for they lacerate the mind by the prickings of their thoughts, and whenever they entice to see they draw blood, as if inflicting a wound. But there are two things which He joins to riches, cares and pleasures, for they oppress the mind by anxiety and unnerve it by luxuries, but they choke the seed, for they strangle the throat of the heart with vexatious thoughts, and while they let not a good desire enter the heart, they close up as it were the passage of the vital breath.

EUSEB. Now these things were foretold by our Savior according to His foreknowledge, and that their case is so, experience testifies. For in no wise do men fall away from the truth of divine worship, but according to some of the causes before mentioned by Him.

CHRYS. And to sum up many things in a few words. Some indeed as careless hearers, some as weak, but others as the very slaves of pleasure and worldly things, hold aloof from what is good. The order of the way side, the rock, and the thorns is well, for we have first need of recollection and caution, next of fortitude, and then of contempt of things present. He therefore places the good ground in opposition to the way, the rock, and the thorns. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, &c. For they who are on the way side keep not the word, but the devil takes away their seed. But they who are on the rock sustain not patiently the assaults of temptation through weakness. But they who are among thorns bear no fruit, but are choked.

GREG. The good ground then beans fruit through patience, for nothing we do is good unless we endure patiently our closest evils. They therefore bear fruit through patience, who when they bear strifes humbly, are after the scourge received with joy to a heavenly rest.

Catena Aurea Luke 8

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Joyful Mysteries

(Mondays and Saturdays)

1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) [Spiritual fruit - Humility]
2. The Visitation (Luke 1: 39-56) [Spiritual fruit - Love of Neighbor]
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) [Spiritual fruit - Poverty of Spirit]
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:21-38) [Spiritual fruit - Purity of mind & body]
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) [Spiritual fruit - Obedience ]

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September 22, 2018

Saturday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 1 Cor 15:35-37, 42-49

Responsorial Psalm Ps 56:10c-12, 13-14

Alleluia See Lk 8:15

Gospel Lk 8:4-15

Readings at Mass