The Decalogue or the Ten Commandments are gifts of God not just to Israel but also to the whole of humanity as they contain universal values. Jesus refers to them as summarizing the Law when he tells the rich young man, “If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Mt 19:17). In keeping them, the commandments serve as a lamp to our feet, a light to our path (Ps 119:105). In the Gospel, as Jesus interprets to the disciples the meaning of the parable of the sower, he pictures a contrast between the ones who truly hear and understand the Word from the ones who hear it but do not act on it. The ones who keep the commandments bear fruit in abundance.
GOSPEL • MATTHEW 13:18-23
Jesus said to his disciples: “Hear 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.”
SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2021,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.