15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
Written by Steven Joubert
A friend of mine recently said, “The devil can’t touch a grateful heart”. As we reflect on the Responsorial Psalm for today, I can’t help but think of that quote. The first thing we notice about the Psalm today is the Church connects two parts of Scripture together rather than using the Psalm alone. The verses come from Psalm 65 and the refrain comes from Luke 8:8. It’s important to notice when this happens, because there’s always a reason.
The response from Luke 8:8 is “the seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.” Contextually, this comes from the Parable of the Sower which is all about the different ways in which people respond to the word of God. In particular, the focus is on the way in which the Word of God received the most fruitfully. This is paired with Psalm 65 which is a thanksgiving prayer.
Today we get the recipe for what the “good ground” for the seed to fall on is: a grateful heart. When we can look at the world around us and see God’s handiwork, our hearts are primed and ready to receive the Word of God and have it bear fruit. It’s when we can acknowledge in gratitude that we are not the source of our own successes, our own talents, the good things around us etc, and can give God the glory that the soil of our soul gets tilled and fertilized.
Pride, ego, selfishness, ingratitude; these are the things that the devil can use to choke out the Word of God when we receive it. These things cause the seed to get trampled, scorched, and overtaken by weeds. But none of these things can compete with gratitude. Gratitude fosters humility. Humility is pride’s antidote. Remember, “the devil can’t touch a grateful heart.”
Steven Joubert is a high school campus minister in Florida. He is a singer-songwriter and NOVUM RECORDS artist. You can find his music on Spotify, Apple Music, and/or wherever you stream your music. To keep up with Steven, follow him on Instagram.
Pray with today’s psalm.