Today in the Liturgy

Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

Reading I: 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: Psalm 110:1, 2, 3, 4

R.  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.

Catholic Answers Commentary on Today's First Reading

Here the author of Hebrews compares the sacrifices of Old Covenant priests, which had to be offered repeatedly, with the one sacrifice of Christ. Some of these Old sacrifices were offered daily (Heb. 10:11), and some less frequently, like the annual Passover and Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement sacrifices. The author of Hebrews makes the argument that Jesus fulfills the Day of Atonement sacrifices in Hebrews 9, especially verses 11-14.

Because Christ’s one sacrifice culminated in everlasting glory, he continues to offer it in the heavenly sanctuary on our behalf (Heb. 8:1-3). That’s why he holds his priesthood permanently (Heb. 7:23-25), even now interceding on our behalf (Heb. 9:23-24).

So Jesus is the high priest of heaven (CCC 662-64, 1137-39), and he always lives to make intercession for us. The Sacrifice of the Mass is our participation anew in Christ’s one continuing sacrifice, through which he always lives to make intercession for us (Heb. 7:23-25). This mean that the eucharistic sacrifice has continuing atoning power for the sins we commit daily (CCC 1366).

Jesus’ one sacrifice is made sacramentally present and offered anew at every Mass according to the order of Melchizedek, i.e., under the forms of bread and wine (Gen. 14:18-20, Heb. 5:7-10, Matt. 26:26-29, Luke 22:19-20; see CCC 1333, 1355, 1544). Consequently, the words of the Lord’s Prayer—“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”—are nowhere more profoundly fulfilled than in the Mass, because heaven and earth are united in a most perfect way that further fosters the redemption of mankind.

For more information on the intimate connection between the heavenly liturgy and the sacrifice of the Mass, see Pope Paul VI, Credo of the People of God, 24-26).

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.”

Bishop Barron's Commentary  on Today's Gospel

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the sower.

In this famous story of the sower, we often focus on the different types of soil and apply them symbolically to ourselves. Now, there is nothing wrong with this interpretation as far as it goes, but I think that it misses what was at the heart of the parable for Jesus.

Focus your attention on this absolutely mad sower. Imagine a crowd of farmers listening to this parable: a man goes out to sow and he throws the seed on the path, on rocky soil, on thorny soil, and finally on good soil. The original hearers of this tale would have exchanged glances and rolled their eyes at the ridiculousness of this farmer.

That was precisely the reaction that Jesus wanted. For God is like this crazy farmer, sowing the seed of his word and his love—not only on receptive soil, not only to those who will respond, but also on the path, on the rocks, and among the thorns, lavishly pouring out his love on those who are least likely to respond. God’s love is irrational, extravagant, embarrassing, unreasonable, completely over the top.