The 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, July 12, 2026
St. James Cathedral

Watch this homily! (begins at 35:30)

 
“Thus says the Lord: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth…so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth, my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.”
 
My friends, that’s a powerful promise from God, and it is the scene depicted here on the front of our ambo. It is a promise that is sometimes hard for us to appreciate, to trust. And so we are reminded today of how effective, how powerful God’s word is.
 
We know that throughout the story of salvation, God has spoken his powerful word and delivered on his promises. In the Book of Genesis it is God’s word that calls creation forth. It is God’s word, spoken to Abraham that creates a people of God’s own.
 
It is God’s word, spoken to Moses that frees these chosen ones from slavery and leads them to a land of promise. It is God’s word, spoken through the prophets that calls the Chosen People back to fidelity to the covenant and reassures them when they feel lost or abandoned.
 
Finally, as St. Paul tells us in today’s second reading from Romans, this creative, redeeming, life-giving Word of God comes among us in flesh and blood, freeing us and all creation form its slavery to the corruption of sin and death. Jesus Christ is the pinnacle, the summit of God’s Word, spoken from the beginning of time and sent forth, in the fullness of time, to accomplish God’s purpose.
 
That purpose is always accomplished. It may take patience and endurance for it to happen, but it will not “return to God void, but shall do his will, achieving the end for which he sent it.”
 
When Isaiah spoke those words some 2600 years ago, the Chosen People wanted to believe him. They had begun to hope for a return from exile in Babylon. Isaiah told them that this was God’s will – this was the word God had spoken – and he would accomplish it. To believe that word, to accept that word, especially in times of trial, is difficult. It was difficult for the people of God more than 2000 years ago and it can be difficult for us today.

But along with the Prophet Isaiah, Jesus reassures us today in that parable we just heard from Matthew’s Gospel. There is an amazing lavishness in this story – a lavishness in the scattering of the seed – in the scattering of the word of God.

This lavishness would have shocked Jesus’ listeners. If there are any farmers among us today, it may shock you. The sower is not careful with where he throws the seed. It goes everywhere! On the path, on rocky ground, among thorns.
 
The sower doesn’t just throw the seed on the good soil. Jesus is communicating something very clear to the religious authorities of his day. For them, the word of God, God’s offer of salvation, was very carefully distributed. It was only for the select few religious folks. Like a prudent farmer, God only throws the seed on the good soil.
 
The whole ministry of Jesus showed God’s utter lavishness with his word – with his love and healing mercy. Jesus reached out to the poor and marginalized, to sinners and those considered unclean. But these had to respond, they had to allow the word to take root.
 
That was true in Jesus’ time and it is true for us as well. Our life of faith is about preparing the soil of our minds and hearts to receive the Word of God.
 
The seed is thrown everywhere – on the path, on rocky ground, and among the thorns. It is up to you and me to make sure that we are the good soil, ready to accept the seeds of God’s word.
 
If I do nothing to build on the word of faith passed on to me by my parents, or by others who introduced me to the faith; if I have the faith of a child and have not studied and prayed and developed my life of faith as I grow older, then I will be like the seed sown on the path - it will be quite easy for the evil one to come and steal what was sown in my heart long ago.
 
If my faith consists only in the joy of peak experiences – a great retreat or falling in love, then when the high goes away, when I experience real disappointment or pain and loss in my life, then just like the seed sown on rocky ground, my faith will be blown away.
 
If my faith in God and my religious life are just one priority among many others – like getting a good education and a good job, living in the right neighborhood, driving the right car – then like the seed sown among the thorns, the lure of riches and the anxiety of the world will simply choke my faith to death.
But, if you and I take personal responsibility for our life of faith; if we work to till the soil of our minds and hearts – through prayer, reading and reflecting on scripture, the teaching of the church and good spiritual writing – then we will prepare our hearts to receive the lavish love that God pours upon us in his word.
 
The soil will not be prepared if I sit back and do nothing. God always acts first and is lavish in scattering the seed, but I have to do my part. I know that as I reflect on my own journey, the times in my life of dryness and superficial faith are often those times when I do not do my part in making sure my heart is prepared to receive God’s lavish word of love. It takes effort. It will not happen automatically.
 
Perhaps this summer can be a good opportunity for all of us to spend some leisure time with God’s word – lingering over it in the Bible or in other spiritual writing. Perhaps some of us are at a place in our life when we need to re-commit ourself to tilling the soil of our faith life so that God’s word can take root. If so, I encourage us to take the time to do it.
 
What we know is that God will always do God’s part – God will always be lavish in spreading his word of life and love. That lavishness is what we turn to now as we approach this altar. Here the Lord Jesus pours himself out unconditionally for us. May we come here well prepared, having tilled the soil of our hearts and minds, ready to receive his unconditional offer of love, healing mercy and new life.

Father Gary F. Lazzeroni