OMELIE / Omelie EN

12 lug 2026

July 12, 2026 - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

July 12, 2026 - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

First Reading: Isaiah 55:10-11 from Psalm 64 Second Reading: Rom 8:18-23 Gospel: Matthew 13:1-23

"But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear": with this certainty, Jesus told his disciples the first of a long series of parables. He told them so that they might understand something of the kingdom of heaven whose nearness he had already announced, repeating the words of John the Baptist. What do the disciples see that can be called blessed? They see the face of Jesus, they see his light, the peace and security of his lips, they see the images he describes. And what do their ears hear? They hear divine wisdom, serene and confident words, bearers of profound truth.

Jesus describes with images what the kingdom of heaven will be and how it already is. He finds these images in the Scriptures: today's is in a passage from the prophet Isaiah, the prophet who speaks most clearly of himself, of his mission, and of the offering of his life for the redemption of all sinners.

Isaiah sees rain and snow falling from the sky. They do not fall in vain, because they find in the earth the seed that someone has placed there, a seed that will give bread to the hungry, to the satisfaction of the sower. And the prophet already announces that that seed is the "word that goes forth from my mouth," the mouth of God. We therefore know a God who cares for the hunger of men, but also for a spiritual hunger, who awaits that which nourishes their interior life with the holy word, that life that connects them with the God who created them and never ceases to let them enjoy his love.

The psalm makes us praise God and helps us thank him for the benefits with which he satisfies our bodies and gladdens the hearts of all.

The apostle, however, reminds us of another important truth: in human life there is toil and pain, like the toil of the sower, like the anxiety of waiting for the fruit, and even like the demanding toil of the harvest. The suffering that every man faces, after being and remaining immersed in the Holy Spirit of God, will bear the fruit of redemption.

The first parable, which will be the key to understanding the other parables, as the Lord himself said, takes us to the middle of the autumn fields. The disciples have seen this scene every year. The sower, with knowledge and wisdom, after adequately preparing the field, measures his steps and the movements of his arms, to scatter the seed in every corner. The scene is present in their imagination in every detail, and they also understand why the seed falls everywhere: partly on the paths, partly on the rocks that protrude from the good soil, partly among the thorns present at the edges of the field, and finally on the soil prepared specifically for sowing.

The disciples ask him: Why, Jesus, do you tell us these things that we have seen so often? What is the purpose of all this? And his only reply is: it is so that you may know "the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven." The kingdom of heaven is what matters to him; it is always in his mind; it is his most important desire, the one that gives meaning to all his other desires. He refers them to another passage from the same prophet Isaiah. Only those who love him, those who are committed to him, should understand. Others cannot understand. Those who are not committed to the King of the kingdom of heaven, it is useless to understand his words: they would not help them.

To them, to the disciples, the explanation comes from his voice. First of all, when they hear the word "seed," they will think of his word, the one he himself speaks. It is a word full of life. Every word can become a plant that bears fruit, like every seed that falls to the ground. The Word!

The Word of Jesus is the Word of God. However, it has an enemy, who tries to prevent it from reaching its destination or tries to prevent it from bearing fruit. When those who receive it don't cherish it immediately, that enemy takes it away. Some receive it superficially: if they don't hide it in their hearts, like a seed buried in the ground, it will soon be gone. If they surround it with other worrying thoughts or mix it with desires for wealth, it will disappear. That word that falls on "good soil," that is, in the heart that loves Jesus, that word builds life, edifies the Church, heals physical and psychological illnesses, renews minds and hearts, enriches minds with wisdom, makes the hearts of children and adults overflow with joy, and fills the elderly with hope!