The Gospel Reading of the Feast of St. John Chrysostom (Mark 4:1-10, 13-20) is about Jesus’ parable of the sower. In this parable, Jesus speaks of himself as the sower who goes to various places and sow seeds of faith – the Word.
The parable reflects Jesus speaking of the Gospel (the
Good News) in places in Galilee and in Judea, through his public ministry,
following his 40-day-and-night fasting in the wilderness of the Judean desert,
upon his Baptism. The Word in his Gospel on salvation and redemption to the
Kingdom of God is the seed sown by Jesus to the hearts of people who heard him.
Some received this seed of faith well while others did not. Those who received it and let their faith
grow out of it followed Jesus as his disciples all the way, though not all of
those who received the Word and became followers made their way with him to the
Cross.
In this parable, Jesus puts four types of receivers of
his Word: those who do not take the Word in and let it be wasted (being like a
path), those who may receive the Word but cannot keep it and easily lose it by apostatizing
when facing tribulation or persecution, because they do not let it grow its
roots in their hearts (being like rocky ground), those who hear the Word but with
hearts plagued with worldly anxieties, temptations of riches, and the unsatiable
cravings, intrude and choke the Word, resulting in no fruition (being like
thorny ground), those who not just hear but listen to the Word with their eager
hearts bear manifold fruits of faith (being like the rich soil). And in his
sermon (44:3-7), St. John Chrysostom preached on this parable, encouraging his
audience to be like the rich soil – being eager listener to the Word sown first
by Christ himself then by evangelizing apostles.
St. John Chrysostom is, certainly, one of those who were
on apostolic mission to “sow” the Word. And, he was known for his eloquence in
preaching – being effective “sower” of the Word. For this reason, he was called,
“Χρυσόστομος” (Khrusostomos), which means “golden-mouthed” (χρυσός
/khrusos, “gold”) + στόμα/stoma, “mouth”).
In his sermon 44, St. John Chrysostom emphasized on our need to make ourselves better receiver of the Word. So he calls us to eliminate any obstacles for the Word to be received and to grow in us, saying:
Let us fortify ourselves on all sides,
regarding His instructions, and striking our roots deep, and cleansing
ourselves from all worldly things. But if we do the one, neglecting the other,
we shall be nothing bettered; for though we perish not in one way, yet shall we
in some other. For what signifies our not being ruined by riches, if we are by
indolence: or not by indolence, if we are by softness. For so the husbandman,
whether this way or that way he lose his crop, equally bewails himself. Let us
not then soothe ourselves upon our not perishing in all these ways, but let it
be our grief, in whichever way we are perishing.
And let us burn up the thorns, for they
choke the word. And this is known to those rich men, who not for these matters
alone, but for others also prove unprofitable. For having become slaves and
captives of their pleasures, they are useless even for civil affairs, and if
for them, much more for those of Heaven. Yea, and in two ways hereby our
thoughts are corrupted; both by the luxury, and by the anxiety too. For either
of these by itself were enough to overwhelm the bark; but when even both
concur, imagine how high the billow swells.
And St. John Chrysostom
concludes his sermon 44 with these words:
Let us flee luxury, let us study
moderation, that we may both enjoy health of body, and having delivered our
soul from all infirmity, may attain unto the good things to come, by the grace
and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might
forever and ever. Amen.
In light of the First Reading (Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13),
the Word sown first by Christ and then by preachers, like St. John Chrysostom,
is a grace. And as we receive it and let it transform us, we are to build up
the Body of Christ, attaining the unity of faith.
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