January 27
Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
First Reading
Hebrews 10:11-18
Every priest stands daily at his ministry, offering frequently those same sacrifices that can never take away sins. But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God; now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool. For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying:
This is the covenant I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord: “I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them upon their minds,”
he also says:
Their sins and their evildoing I will remember no more.
Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 110:1, 2, 3, 4
R. (4b) You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool.”
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
“Rule in the midst of your enemies.”
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
“Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you.”
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
“You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;
all who come to him will live for ever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mark 4:1-20
On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.
A very large crowd gathered around him
so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables,
and in the course of his instruction he said to them,
“Hear this! A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it
and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”
And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. He answered them, “The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that
they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.”
Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. But they have no roots; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”
Give a Mass Offering
Prayer for Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
“ You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.”
Readings & Reflection
The parable of the sower and the seed is a classic parable that we may have heard many times in our lives. We can approach the parable from a few different viewpoints. We can be the seed that is sown, we could be the one scattering the seed, or we can be the ground that the seed is scattered upon. All three ways of looking at it are appropriate and often effective ways of looking at our spiritual lives. If we are the one scattering seed, do we look where we are scattering it? Or do we just throw it everywhere and hope it sticks? We must be cognizant of what we are doing and how we do it in our spiritual lives. If we are the seed, then are we prepared to grow and prosper in the field as we are planted? If we are the soil the seed is planted in, what kind of soil are we? Are we rich soil that is ready to receive what God has for us? Are we shallow soil that will allow something to be grown but not support it for any length of time? Are we soil that is overgrown with thorns and needs nutrients? What are the nutrients that we need to cultivate to become better places where the word of God grows in our hearts? We can focus on reading the word of God and reflecting on scripture, partaking in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, receiving the Eucharist, and attending Mass each week or each day. Take some time today and reflect on what you need to work on to be a better sower of the seed and how you can better let the word of God take root in your life.
Fr Matt Rawson
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