Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
Isa 55.10-11;
Ps 64;
Rom 8.18-23;
Mt 13.1-23
Allow the word of God to bear fruits in you.
The three readings at today’s Mass all focus on God’s revelation of Himself to us. Through the words of the prophet Isaiah, God assures us that His spoken word is powerful and effective: “The word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.” We also know that God's fullest revelation came when He took on human flesh. In Jesus, His Word made flesh, He reveals the eternal Father in a way that the prophets, priests, and kings of the Old Testament could not. As last week’s Gospel reminds us, Jesus said, “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.” The perfect revelation by the Son surpasses all previous ones and, in a sense, closes the door on further revelations: “It is fulfilled,” He said before He died. Jesus came to give His life for us, to redeem us from sin, and to reveal the Father to us. Understanding the Creator—who made and sustains us—would be impossible without His self-revelation. He chose to do this in a way we can understand—by humbling Himself and becoming like us in all things but sin. Born of the Virgin Mary, Jesus revealed His true nature and love for us through His incarnation, all out of His graces and love for His creation.
Our Lord offers words of encouragement to His disciples, including those of us who open ourselves to His grace. He assures us that, because we have faith in Him and seek to deepen our understanding of His teachings, we will be granted a greater insight into divine truths: “to him who has will be more given.” Conversely, those who do not cultivate this openness or do not pursue Him to discover more may later find their interest in spiritual matters waning and may become less receptive to divine grace; it is as if the initial blessings are diminished for them. This verse also sheds light on the meaning of the parable of the sower, which beautifully illustrates the spiritual economy of divine grace: God provides grace freely, and humans are free to respond. Those who respond generously are often rewarded with additional grace, fostering their growth in holiness; meanwhile, those who reject God’s gifts may become increasingly closed off and, through selfishness and attachment to sin, may eventually lose access to divine grace altogether. Our Lord offers us a sincere warning: with divine authority, He encourages us—while preserving our freedom—to act responsibly. The gifts God bestows are meant to bear fruit, and we are called to seize all opportunities for our sanctification that life presents to us.
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