Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today the Church celebrates the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The assigned readings are Isaiah 55:10-11, Romans 8:18-23, and Matthew 13:1-23. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 65 (Psalm 65:10-14).

For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:

YouTube: Responsorial Psalm Ps 65 Thanksgiving to God's Blessings 

The Gospel reading is as follows:

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear."

The disciples approached him and said, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"

He said to them in reply, "Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because 'they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.' Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: 'You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted, and I heal them.'

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

"Hear then the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold."

Reflections on these readings:

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflections: 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 16, 2017)
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 16, 2017)

Community in Mission: My Word Shall Not Return to Me Empty - A Homily for the 15th Sunday of the Year (15 JUL 17)
The Sacred Page: The Seed of the Word: 15th Sunday of OT (11 JUL 17)

The Sacred Page: The Parables of Jesus - Part 1 (The Mass Readings Explained) (10 JUL 17)
Aleteia: Deacon Greg Kandra: Gardening with God: Homily for July 16, 2017, 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (15 JUl 17)

Word on Fire: The Fecundity of Your Heart (Cycle A * Ordinary Time * Week 15)

Catholic World Report: The Dispatch: Christ’s parables are not secret codes but calls to conversion (15 JUL 17) 

Spirituality of the Readings: Yearning (Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A)

In Exile: To Whom Can We Go? (Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A
)

Let the Scriptures Speak: Cracking a Parable (Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A)

The Word Embodied: The Problem of Evil (Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A
)

Historical Cultural Context: The "Inside" Story (Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A)

Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by Gregory the Great (Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A
)