This document provides a Bible study outline for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, focusing on the theme of the Word of God as seen in readings from Isaiah, Romans, and Matthew. It emphasizes the efficacy of God's word, likening it to rain that nurtures the earth, as well as the importance of being receptive to it in order to bear fruit. Additionally, it underscores the Christian responsibility to cultivate fertile ground for the Word of God and challenges believers to reflect on their engagement and contribution to faith communities.

1. Welcome to our Bible Study
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time A
13 July 2014
In preparation for this Sunday’s Liturgy
In aid of focusing our homilies and sharing
Prepared by Fr. Cielo R. Almazan, OFM

2. 1st reading: Isaiah 55:10-11
 10 Thus says the Lord: Just as from the
heavens the rain and snow come down and
do not return there till they have watered the
earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving
seed to him who sows and bread to him
who eats, 11 so shall my word be that goes
forth from my mouth; it shall not return to
me void, but shall do my will, achieving the
end for which I sent it.
The focus is on the Word of God.

3. 1st reading: Isaiah 55:10-11
 10 Thus says the
Lord: Just as from
the heavens the
rain and snow
come down and
do not return
there till they have
watered the earth,
making it fertile
and fruitful, giving
seed to him who
sows and bread to
him who eats, 11
so shall my word
be that goes forth
from my mouth; it
shall not return to
me void, but shall
do my will,
achieving the end
for which I sent it.
Commentary
 Vv.10-11 form one long sentence.
 V.10 is the subordinate clause.
 V.11 is the main clause, whose subject is
“my word,” which is the Word of God.
 The Word of God is compared to the rain
and snow.
 Both the Word of God and the rain/snow
come down from heaven.
 Both will return to God only when they
have accomplished their mission.
 The rain and the snow come down to
water the ground, making it fertile, giving
seed and bread to the farmer and
consumers.
 The Word of God come to make us bear
fruit so that we may give life to others.

4. Reflections on the 1st reading
 The Word of God is effective.
 Its mission is to nurture us.
 We must allow ourselves to be nurtured by the
Word of God.
 It will change us. It will satisfy us. It will make us
productive.
 If you are not contributing anything to your family, to
the church and to the world, examine your life if it is
worth living.
 Parasitical life is not worth living.
 Surrender to the Word of God.

5. Resp. Ps. 65:10-11, 12-13, 14
 R. (Lk 8:8) The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful
harvest.
 10 You have visited the land and watered it;
greatly have you enriched it.
11 God’s watercourses are filled; you have prepared the grain.
 12 Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows,
breaking up its clods,
Softening it with showers, blessing its yield.
 13 You have crowned the year with your bounty,
and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it,
and rejoicing clothes the hills.
 14 The fields are garmented with flocks
and the valleys blanketed with grain.
They shout and sing for joy.

6. Resp. Ps. 65:10-11, 12-13, 14
 R. (Lk 8:8) The seed that falls on good
ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
 10 You have visited the land and watered
it;
greatly have you enriched it.
11 God’s watercourses are filled; you have
prepared the grain.
 12 Thus have you prepared the land:
drenching its furrows,
breaking up its clods,
Softening it with showers, blessing its yield.
 13 You have crowned the year with your
bounty,
and your paths overflow with a rich
harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it,
and rejoicing clothes the hills.
 14 The fields are garmented with flocks
and the valleys blanketed with grain.
They shout and sing for joy.
Commentary
 The psalm describes the condition
of ancient Israel: agricultural.
 Vv.10-11 indicate God’s actions on
the land:
 Visited, watered, enriched, filled
 Prepared the grain.
 V.12 indicates further God’s actions
on the land:
 Drenching…, breaking up…
softening
 Blessing…
 V.13 speaks of rich harvest that
gives joy.
 V.14 talks about flocks and valleys
filled with grain.
 The result:
 Animals and valleys (land) sing for
joy.

7. Reflections on the Psalm
 God is a good farmer and provider.
 He takes care of all his creation.
 Do you believe that God is such?
 Can you appropriate the Psalm as your own?

8. 2nd reading: Romans 8:18-23
 18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time
are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed
for us. 19 For creation awaits with eager expectation
the revelation of the children of God; 20 for creation
was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but
because of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that
creation itself would be set free from slavery to
corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the
children of God. 22 We know that all creation is
groaning in labor pains even until now; 23 and not
only that, but we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of
the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait
for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
The focus is on the revelation of God’s children.

9. 2nd reading: Romans 8:18-23
Glory to be revealed
 18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as
nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.
Creation awaiting
 19 For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation
of the children of God; 20 for creation was made subject to
futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who
subjected it, in hope 21 that creation itself would be set
free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious
freedom of the children of God.
Creation groaning
 22 We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even
until now; 23 and not only that, but we ourselves, who
have the first-fruits of the Spirit, we also groan within
ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our
bodies.
A simple outline!

10. 2nd reading: Romans 8:18-23
Glory to be revealed
 18 I consider that the sufferings of
this present time are as nothing
compared with the glory to be
revealed for us.
Creation awaiting
 19 For creation awaits with eager
expectation the revelation of the
children of God; 20 for creation
was made subject to futility, not of
its own accord but because of the
one who subjected it, in hope 21
that creation itself would be set
free from slavery to corruption and
share in the glorious freedom of
the children of God.
Creation groaning
 22 We know that all creation is
groaning in labor pains even until
now; 23 and not only that, but we
ourselves, who have the first-fruits
of the Spirit, we also groan within
ourselves as we wait for adoption,
the redemption of our bodies.
Commentary
 In v.18, Paul anticipates the
glory that is to be revealed.
 Our sufferings (put together)
are nothing compared with the
glory to come.
 V.19 specifies who is awaiting
and what is awaited.
 Creation eagerly awaits this
revelation.
 Vv.20-21 form a parenthesis,
but contain the content of the
revelation.
 Here, creation was made
useless, but it would be freed
from slavery and corruption
and would live in freedom as
children of God, through
Jesus.

11. 2nd reading: Romans 8:18-23
Glory to be revealed
 18 I consider that the sufferings of
this present time are as nothing
compared with the glory to be
revealed for us.
Creation awaiting (freedom)
 19 For creation awaits with eager
expectation the revelation of the
children of God; 20 for creation
was made subject to futility, not of
its own accord but because of the
one who subjected it, in hope 21
that creation itself would be set
free from slavery to corruption and
share in the glorious freedom of
the children of God.
Creation groaning (adoption)
 22 We know that all creation is
groaning in labor pains even until
now; 23 and not only that, but we
ourselves, who have the first-fruits
of the Spirit, we also groan within
ourselves as we wait for adoption,
the redemption of our bodies.
 In v.22, creation groans in pain
(as it awaits the revelation).
 V.23 indicates that we,
Christians, also groan quietly,
waiting for adoption
(redemption).

12. Reflections on the 2nd reading
 Christian life is a life of waiting.
 We await a known future.
 The known future is our redemption.
 In the meantime, we suffer, creation groans, we groan,
but “it is nothing compared with the glory to come.”
 We must be patient.
 Are you patient?

13. Gospel reading: Matthew 13:1-9
Setting by the sea
 1 On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the
sea. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into
a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the
shore.
Parable of the Sower
 3 And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: "A sower
went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on the
path, and birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky
ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because
the soil was not deep, 6 and when the sun rose it was
scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. 7 Some seed fell
among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. 8 But
some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or
sixty or thirtyfold.
A follow-up saying
 9 Whoever has ears ought to hear."
A simple outline!

14. Gospel reading: Matthew 13:1-9
Setting by the sea
 1 On that day, Jesus went out of
the house and sat down by the
sea. 2 Such large crowds
gathered around him that he got
into a boat and sat down, and the
whole crowd stood along the
shore.
Parable of the Sower
 3 And he spoke to them at length
in parables, saying: "A sower
went out to sow. 4 And as he
sowed, some seed fell on the
path, and birds came and ate it
up. 5 Some fell on rocky ground,
where it had little soil. It sprang
up at once because the soil was
not deep, 6 and when the sun
rose it was scorched, and it
withered for lack of roots. 7
Some seed fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew up and
choked it. 8 But some seed fell
on rich soil, and produced fruit, a
hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
A follow-up saying
 9 Whoever has ears ought to
hear."
Commentary
 Vv.1-2 observe Jesus sitting down by the
sea, and on a boat. The rabbis sit down as
they teach.
 In contrast, the people were standing up.
 Vv.3-8 are about the parable of the sower.
 This is the first of the parables in Matthew
13.
 V.3 states the first line from where we
obtain the title of the parable.
 There are four kinds of grounds on which
the seed is sown:
 First, along a path (exposed to birds), v.4
 Second, on a rocky ground (little soil), vv.5-6
 Third,among thorns (thorns choked it), v.7
 Fourth, on a rich soil (fruits, 100, 60 or 30
fold). V.8
 Only on rich soil does the seed grow and
bear fruit.
 V.9 states the morale of the story.
 All who have ears are obliged to hear and
to learn, otherwise, they are ‘inutile’.

15. Reflections on the gospel reading
 The gospel is about giving importance to the Word of
God.
 The Word of God prospers only on good soil.
 We ask, “are we the good soil?”
 We make ourselves the good soil, through hard work,
through conversion.
 Conversion is a lifelong process. That’s why, we need
to listen always to the word of God, for instruction.
 Through us, the Word of God bears fruit abundantly.
 Do not let the Word of God fall on deaf ears.

16. Tying the 3 readings and the Psalm
 The first reading talks about the efficacious and
efficient Word of God.
 The psalm talks about God as a good provider.
 The second reading talks about our destiny.
(through the Words of the earlier missionaries
and Paul)
 The gospel reading talks about the Word of God
sown on good people, who will produce much
fruit.

17. How to develop your homily / sharing
 Do you pay attention to the Word of God?
 Is there a change in you after having
encountered the Word of God in the liturgy
and in your private reading?
 How do we best receive God’s Word?

18. `
 The gospel reading tells us how to receive the
Word of God.
 The Word of God does not grow if the soil is not
well prepared.
 We, humans, must be well prepared to receive the
seed (Word of God) so that once it is sown, it will
grow and bear fruit.
 To be receptive to the Word of God, we must do a
lot of work to change ourselves.

19.  We must remove sin (materialism, too
much distraction, not seriously committed)
from our hearts.
 They impede the growth of God’s Word
in us.

20.  The first reading tells us that it is God who
sends the Word of God to all of us, humans.
 That we may become productive.
 It is compared to the rain that falls and nurtures
the earth before it goes back to the sky.
 Christians are supposed to be nurtured by the
Word of God.
 The Word of God does not go back to God until
it is able to accomplish its mission of forming
us.
 Let us not delay the return of the Word to God, by
our inattentiveness, by our negligence and by our
disobedience.

21.  The second reading develops the theme
of the fruit of the Word of God sown to
Christians, who respond to it generously.
 The fruit is the ability to suffer and to
embrace that suffering as a transition to
the promised glory (paschal mystery).
 Are you willing to sacrifice for the Lord
and embrace sufferings, when given
tasks and mission in your church and
community?

22.  The Word of God must be fostered in our
communities and churches.
 Our churches must become fertile ground for
evangelization.
 If we, Christians, are not growing in love and
in the knowledge of God in our communities
because the Word of God is not properly
preached to us, we better shut our churches
down.
 Too much expense for nothing.

23.  We, Christians, have the right to demand to be
evangelized.
 The main job of the pastor is to evangelize, to sow
the Word of God.
 We do not allow ourselves to be led in the church
by people, who are not evangelized, and have no
interest in the Word of God, who do not attend Bible
Studies/Sharing.

24.  The reception of the eucharist, the body
and blood of Christ, is a manifestation of
our acceptance of the Word of God.
 The eucharist, like the Word of God,
nurtures the spirit of every Christian who
receives it.
 The eucharist is for those who spread the
Word of God.

25. Our Context of Sin and Grace
 No time for Bible
Study/Sharing
 Tele-evangelists
 No respect for the Word
of God
 Fundamentalist
interpretation
 Misinterpretation
 Overinterpretation
 Fear of the Bible
 Training of lectors,
commentators and
ordained preachers
 Evangelization
 Re-evangelization
 New Evangelization
 Renewed Integral
evangelization
 Word of God sown anew
on the young generation
through modern media.
 Conversion through
God’s Word

26. Suggested Songs
 The Heavens are Telling
 I Love You All
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxaP-9mLXCE