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| "The Sower" -- by James Tissot |
FIRST
READING: Hebrews
10: 11 - 18
11
And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the
same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
12
But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins,
he sat down at the right hand of God,
13
then to wait until his enemies should be made a stool for his feet.
14
For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are
sanctified.
15
And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16
"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those
days, says the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write
them on their minds,"
17
then he adds, "I will remember their sins and their misdeeds no
more."
18
Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering
for sin.
PSALM:
Psalms 110: 1
- 4
1
The LORD says to my lord: "Sit at my right hand, till I make
your enemies your footstool."
2
The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst
of your foes!
3
Your people will offer themselves freely on the day you lead your
host upon the holy mountains. From the womb of the morning like dew
your youth will come to you.
4
The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a
priest for ever after the order of Melchiz'edek."
GOSPEL:
Mark 4:
1 - 20
1
Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd
gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the
sea; and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.
2
And he taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he
said to them:
3
"Listen! A sower went out to sow.
4
And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came
and devoured it.
5
Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and
immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil;
6
and when the sun rose it was scorched, and since it had no root it
withered away.
7
Other seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it,
and it yielded no grain.
8
And other seeds fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing
up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a
hundredfold."
9
And he said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
10
And when he was alone, those who were about him with the twelve asked
him concerning the parables.
11
And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the
kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables;
12
so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but
not understand; lest they should turn again, and be forgiven."
13
And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How
then will you understand all the parables?
14
The sower sows the word.
15
And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown; when
they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word which is
sown in them.
16
And these in like manner are the ones sown upon rocky ground, who,
when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy;
17
and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then,
when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word,
immediately they fall away.
18
And others are the ones sown among thorns; they are those who hear
the word,
19
but the cares of the world, and the delight in riches, and the desire
for other things, enter in and choke the word, and it proves
unfruitful.
20
But those that were sown upon the good soil are the ones who hear the
word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a
hundredfold."
