Reading 1, Jer 1:1, 4-10

¹ The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests living at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.

⁴ The word of Yahweh came to me, saying:

⁵ 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you came to birth I consecrated you; I appointed you as prophet to the nations.'

⁶ I then said, 'Ah, ah, ah, Lord Yahweh; you see, I do not know how to speak: I am only a child!'

⁷ But Yahweh replied, 'Do not say, "I am only a child," for you must go to all to whom I send you and say whatever I command you.

⁸ Do not be afraid of confronting them, for I am with you to rescue you, Yahweh declares.'

⁹ Then Yahweh stretched out his hand and touched my mouth, and Yahweh said to me: 'There! I have put my words into your mouth.

¹⁰ Look, today I have set you over the nations and kingdoms, to uproot and to knock down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.'

Gospel, Mt 13:1-9

¹ That same day, Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside,

² but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the shore,

³ and he told them many things in parables. He said, 'Listen, a sower went out to sow.

⁴ As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up.

⁵ Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up at once, because there was no depth of earth;

⁶ but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away.

⁷ Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.

⁸ Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

⁹ Anyone who has ears should listen!'

September 2010

October 2010