12 July 2020
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy, hear and answer me.” So ends this age-old prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Memorare.
From its inception, the Christian community has recognized Mary’s privileged place in Salvation History. She is the one who received the Word in her heart and in her womb, which to this day continues to bear great fruit.
Today’s readings speak of God’s words. The prophet Isaiah tells us that God’s word shall not return to him void, but shall do His will, yielding a fruitful harvest. Jesus speaks of the seed sown in rich soil which is the one who hears the Word and understands it and indeed bears great fruit.
As the embodied beings that we are, we hear the word with our ears, we read it with our eyes, we speak of it with our mouths. But, as Jesus tells us, this is not sufficient to yield a great harvest. Do we actually listen to the word and understand it within our hearts? Do we let it transform our souls, and the thoughts we have, the words we say, the actions we take within these bodies of ours?
In Christ may we live and breathe and have our being. May we strive to live the Word, embody the Word and thus make the blessed fruit of Mary’s womb, the word made flesh, ever more fruitful.