So this is one of those homilies where I might get in the trouble with Father Martello unless I have your help. So I need about 10 people afterwards that can stay for 15 minutes and help me clean up. So if there are 10 of you that could raise your hands and volunteer, I can do the homily. If not, I can’t do it. Okay, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Please stay after mass and help me clean up after this.
Now, one of the things people always ask me is do I repeat my homily. And the answer is no. I always try to come up with a new homily every Sunday. This is the first time I am ever going to kind of repeat a homily, but I’m going to make it bigger and better. Okay. So that’s the hope.
So the Gospel is the sower went out to sow seeds, and when he did, as he was sowing the seed, he came to some and he dropped it on the ground, but it was hard ground. So the birds came and they quickly ate up the seed and left. And then he came and dropped it on some other soil, and it was thorny soil. So the thorns choked it up and it would not grow. And then he came and he dropped some of the seed on soil, but the soil was too thin. And so as the seed grew and the plant grew, the sun scorched it and it withered away. But some seed he dropped on moist soil, and when he dropped the seed on moist soil, it took root and it grew and produced a hundredfold and thirtyfold and sixtyfold.
When we come to mass, God’s seed is being poured on us. So from the very beginning of mass, even moments before the mass starts, if you come here and your heart is open, even in the silence, by being before the blessed sacrament, God’s seed already starts before mass.
And then you have the first, the song. All of the songs used are based on Scripture. So you if you listen to the Word of God, you get some of God’s seed right there at the beginning of Scripture. And then at the opening prayers, all the opening prayers and all the prayers of the mass are based on Scripture. So when the priest says, “Let us pray” and he begins the opening prayer, what happens? Seed falls on you.
And then after the opening prayer we have the first reading. We hear the Word of God. And as we hear the first reading, God’s seed is poured out upon us. And after we hear the responsorial psalm, the responsorial psalm is the reading. And so what happens during the responsorial psalm? More of God’s seed comes upon us. And then we hear, after the responsorial psalm, another reading. We hear a second reading, and God’s seed all over us. And then we hear the Gospel. And the Gospel is like, you know, the Word of Jesus that we hear. And during the Gospel, God’s seed is just poured on us, all over us.
Now, sometimes people people say to me, “Father, I don’t get anything out of mass.” And I think like, really, you don’t get anything out of mass? Because He pours His seed all over us. His Word is coming to us from every part of the mass poured on us, and all it takes is one seed to catch root.
What makes it different about this homily is two years ago I gave this homily on the seeds, and two years ago somebody was sitting in the pew and she hadn’t been to mass in years. And she finally came to mass this Sunday, and that Sunday with the seed homily, she grabbed some of that seed and she didn’t let go. Two years later she has not missed one mass. That seed fell on rich soil. Right here is Celine. She is here after two years. She’s been coming to mass every Sunday.
So maybe there is somebody here right now that is kind of indifferent and maybe you have been away, and maybe from this mass on, you know, that seed will take root and come to mass.
You know, the best part is that even after the readings, as Catholics, we actually receive the body of Christ into us. We receive God’s seed into us in the Eucharist. That’s when it takes most full effect in us. So just in a few moments, as I consecrate the body and blood of Christ, we will receive God’s Word. And when we do, talk about an abundance, it’s the source and summit, the mystery of our faith.
Now, the Doslaks, one of the daughters came all the way from Strongsville just because she saw this homily on Facebook. So I thought that she could be symbolic for receiving the Eucharist. So this is what happens when we receive the Eucharist. When we receive the body and blood of Christ, it’s the source and summit of our faith, okay. So when we receive the Eucharist, God’s seed is literally all over us.
You promised to clean up.
So God’s seed is all over us. And when we receive the Eucharist, we receive His seed, His Word into us. Now, just imagine if just a part of you, a part of your soil is rich. All it takes is one seed to take root. All it takes is one. And if you come to mass every Sunday and you don’t get anything out of it, it’s not because God’s Word isn’t being poured down upon you. Maybe your soil isn’t ready. Maybe your soil isn’t deep. Maybe your soil isn’t rich. Maybe your heart hasn’t been prepared. But the wonderful thing is, even if we’re not prepared, God still pours his seed on us. And sometimes, even if our heart’s hard and our minds are tuned out and we’re bored, He still has the ability to get through to us.
And so to symbolize us, that’s why I have the seed bazooka cannon. Justin, can you bring it out?
So God’s Word even has ability to get to us when we’re not paying attention. So maybe you even come to mass and you’re not ready for it. Who wants it? You’re not ready for it. You’re not paying attention. God still has the ability to get His seed through you. So when you come up and you receive the body of Christ and the priest says “The body of Christ,” the minister says, “The body of Christ,” and you say “Amen,” what happens? You receive God, right?
So let’s hear a great Amen. Ready?
Amen.
Good, it worked.
Here’s the point. God’s Word is effective, okay. God does speak to us at mass. We hear Him in the readings. We hear Him in the homily. We receive Him in the body of Christ. No matter what we do, even if we’re not ready to receive it, God hits us when we least expect it. His word is effective.
My hope and my prayer is that that seed will penetrate into some soil in your heart, that each and every Sunday you come here, you do receive Him in Word and in sacrament.
(The video was at the mass in Church but her battery died and missed the “explosion”!)
