First Reading

Isaiah 55:10-11 (JB)

A reading from the prophet Isaiah

The rain makes the earth fruitful.

Thus says the Lord: ‘As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.’

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Isaiah 55:10-11 (NRSV)

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah

Thus says the Lord:

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,

and do not return there until they have watered the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 64:10-14 (JB)

R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

You care for the earth, give it water,

you fill it with riches.

Your river in heaven brims over

to provide its grain. R.

And thus you provide for the earth;

you drench its furrows,

you level it, soften it with showers,

you bless its growth. R.

You crown the year with your goodness.

Abundance flows in your steps,

in the pastures of the wilderness it flows. R.

The hills are girded with joy,

the meadows covered with flocks,

the valleys are decked with wheat,

They shout for joy, yes, they sing. R.

Second Reading

Romans 8:18-23 (JB)

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans

All creation is waiting for the revelation of the children of God.

I think that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us. The whole creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal his sons. It was not for any fault on the part of creation that it was made unable to attain its purpose, it was made so by God; but creation still retains the hope of being freed, like us, from its slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God. From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and not only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Romans 8:18-23 (NRSV)

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans

I consider that the sufferings of this present time

are not worth comparing with the glory

about to be revealed to us.

For the creation waits with eager longing

for the revealing of the children of God;

for the creation was subjected to futility,

not of its own will

but by the will of the one who subjected it,

in hope that the creation itself

will be set free from its bondage to decay

and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation

has been groaning in labour pains until now;

and not only the creation,

but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit,

groan inwardly while we wait for adoption,

the redemption of our bodies.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation

GA (JB)

Alleluia, alleluia!

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;

all who come to him will live for ever.

Alleluia!

Luke 8:11 (NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia!

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;

all who come to him will live for ever.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 13:1-23 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

A sower went out to sow.

Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables.

He said, ‘Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Listen, anyone who has ears!’

Then the disciples went up to him and asked, ‘Why do you talk to them in parables?’ ‘Because’ he replied ‘the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed to you, but they are not revealed to them. For anyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So in their case this prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled:

You will listen and listen again, but not understand,

see and see again, but not perceive.

For the heart of this nation has grown coarse,

their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes,

for fear they should see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their heart,

and be converted

and be healed by me.

‘But happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.

‘You, therefore, are to hear the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the evil one comes and carries off what was sown in his heart: this is the man who received the seed on the edge of the path. The one who received it on patches of rock is the man who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy. But he has no root in him, he does not last; let some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, and he falls away at once. The one who received the seed in thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this world and the lure of riches choke the word and so he produces nothing. And the one who received the seed in rich soil is the man who hears the word and understands it; he is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 13:1-9 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

A sower went out to sow.

Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables.

He said, ‘Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundred-fold, some sixty, some thirty. Listen, anyone who has ears!’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 13:1-23 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to Matthew

Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.

Such great crowds gathered around him

that he got into a boat and sat there,

while the whole crowd stood on the beach.

And he told them many things in parables.

“Listen! A sower went out to sow.

And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path,

and the birds came and ate them up.

Other seeds fell on rocky ground,

where they did not have much soil,

and they sprang up quickly,

since they had no depth of soil.

But when the sun rose, they were scorched;

and since they had no root, they withered away.

Other seeds fell among thorns,

and the thorns grew up and choked them.

Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain,

some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Let anyone with ears listen!”

Then the disciples came and asked Jesus,

“Why do you speak to them in parables?”

He answered,

“To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven,

but to them it has not been given.

For to those who have, more will be given,

and they will have an abundance;

but from those who have nothing,

even what they have will be taken away.

“The reason I speak to them in parables

is that ‘seeing they do not perceive,

and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.’

With them indeed is fulfilled

the prophecy of Isaiah that says:

‘You will indeed listen, but never understand,

and you will indeed look, but never perceive.

For this people’s heart has grown dull,

and their ears are hard of hearing,

and they have shut their eyes;

so that they might not look with their eyes,

and listen with their ears,

and understand with their heart and turn-

and I would heal them.’

“But blessed are your eyes, for they see,

and your ears, for they hear.

Truly I tell you,

many prophets and righteous people

longed to see what you see, but did not see it,

and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.

“Hear then the parable of the sower.

When anyone hears the word of the kingdom

and does not understand it,

the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart;

this is what was sown on the path.

As for what was sown on rocky ground,

this is the one who hears the word

and immediately receives it with joy;

yet such a person has no root,

but endures only for a while,

and when trouble or persecution arises

on account of the word,

that person immediately falls away.

As for what was sown among thorns,

this is the one who hears the word,

but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth

choke the word, and it yields nothing.

“But as for what was sown on good soil,

this is the one who hears the word and understands it,

who indeed bears fruit

and yields, in one case a hundredfold,

in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 13:1-9 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to Matthew

Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.

Such great crowds gathered around him

that he got into a boat and sat there,

while the whole crowd stood on the beach.

And he told them many things in parables.

“Listen! A sower went out to sow.

And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path,

and the birds came and ate them up.

Other seeds fell on rocky ground,

where they did not have much soil,

and they sprang up quickly,

since they had no depth of soil.

But when the sun rose, they were scorched;

and since they had no root, they withered away.

Other seeds fell among thorns,

and the thorns grew up and choked them.

Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain,

some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Let anyone with ears listen.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.