Gospel: September 20, 2025
September 20, 2025 (Saturday)
24th Week in Ordinary Time
Psalter: Week 4 / (Red)
St. Andrew Kim Taegŏn, priest,
St. Paul Chŏng Hasang and companions, martyrs
Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5
Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
1st Reading: 1 Timothy 6:13-16
Now, in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Jesus Christ, who expressed before Pontius Pilate the authentic profession of faith: preserve the revealed message to all. Keep yourself pure and blameless, until the glorious coming of Christ Jesus, our Lord, who God will bring about at the proper time; he, the magnificent sovereign, King of kings and Lord of lords. To him, alone, immortal, who lives in unapproachable light and whom no one has ever seen or can see, to him, be honor and power, forever and ever. Amen!
Gospel: Luke 8:4-15
As a great crowd gathered, and people came to him from every town, Jesus began teaching them with a story: “The sower went out to sow the seed. And as he sowed, some of the seed fell along the way, was trodden on, and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground; and no sooner had it come up than it withered, because it had no water. Some seed fell among thorns; the thorns grew up with the seed and choked it. But some seed fell on good soil and grew, producing fruit, a hundred times as much!” And Jesus cried out, “Listen then, if you have ears to hear!” The disciples asked him, “What does this story mean?” And Jesus answered, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to others it is given in the form of stories, or parables, so that, seeing, they may not perceive; and hearing, they may not understand.
Now, this is the point of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the wayside are people who hear it; but immediately, the devil comes and takes the word from their minds, for he doesn’t want them to believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are people who receive the word with joy; but they have no root; they believe for a while, and give way in time of trial. Among the thorns are people who hear the word, but, as they go their way, they are choked by worries, riches, and the pleasures of life; they bring no fruit to maturity. The good soil, instead, are people who receive the word, and keep it, in a gentle and generous mind, and, persevering patiently, they bear fruit.
Reflection:
“The seed of Christ’s Word.”
The Parable of the Sower relates to Christ and his Word but also to the mission of the Church as we continue the task of sowing the seeds of the Good News. The parable describes the various obstacles to receiving the seed of Christ’s Word. This mixed reception to the Word is found in the missionary experiences of the Korean martyrs. For example, having been educated and ordained in Macau, Saint Andrew Kim Taegon returned to Korea where it was illegal to practice Christianity. He preached with great conviction and even in prison people crowded round him to listen. However, some hesitated, saying that they would have converted to Christianity if it had been permitted by the king. Here the seed has started to grow but fails to flourish. Among his captors, who tortured him mercilessly, we find examples of the seed being carried away before it can take root. Yet, even amid the ridicule his message was clear, “I practice my religion because it is true: it teaches me to know God and brings me to eternal happiness.” Like the Korean martyrs, me we sow God’s seeds of truth and salvation with fervor. May God’s Word bear much fruit.
