The Power of God’s Word!

Sunday, July 12, 2026

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Is 55: 10-11; Rom 8: 18-23; Mt 13: 1-23

The fifteenth Sunday invites us to reflect on the power and characteristics of God’s Word. 

The three readings of the day enlighten us on the transforming power of God’s Word. 

The first reading highlights the performative and unfailing nature of God’s Word. Just as rain and snow make the earth productive and fruitful, God’s Word brings growth and transformation in those who receive it with faith. With or without us realizing the truth, God’s Word fulfills the purpose for which God sends it. This truth inspires our trust in the empowering and transforming power of God’s Word even when we do not see its results immediately. God never fails. So is His Word.

In the second reading, Paul highlights the power of God’s Word to transform human suffering and assure us redemption and restoration. God’s promise offers the consolation that the suffering that creation and humanity experience is only short-lived and will vanish when God’s promise is realized among us. Thus, Paul wants us to understand the power and significance of God’s Word, as it not only reveals God’s eternal plan of redemption for creation and humanity but also strengthens us to persevere with confidence. There are the words of God’s promise to hold on to during difficult and uncertain times. We trust that God will faithfully fullfil His promise according to His perfect will. 

The Gospel text highlights the power of God’s Word in at least four ways. 

1. God’s Word Is Purposeful. The Word of God comes to the earth with a purpose and returns to God only after achieving that purpose. The Word of God has never gone in vain. The perfect example we can think of is Jesus, the Word Incarnate. Jesus, the Word of God (Jn 1:1ff), accomplished what God wanted him to achieve in the world. This is why at the end of his ministry in the world, moments before his death, Jesus said, ‘It is accomplished.’ That is how God’s Word is purposeful. 

2. The Working of God’s Word is hidden and invisible. Just because we cannot see, it doesn’t mean God’s Word is inactive. Its inner growth lies beneath, concealed in the mud. In much the same way, the knowledge of the working of God’s Word remains hidden for humans. It is said that a type of Chinese bamboo spends five years developing an unseen root system before exploding with vertical growth, shooting up to 90 feet tall in just five to six weeks. God’s Word is never wasted. It is preparing for the leap in an unnoticeable manner. 

3. God’s Word works wonders in proportion to our openness to receive it. Judas and Peter become the examples of it. Judas, who was chosen and trained by Jesus, eventually betrayed the Lord. But Peter denied any knowledge of Jesus thrice. But the difference is that Peter trusted in God’s mercy and compassion. Here, we are reminded of the Latin maxim: Quidquid recipitur ad modum recipientis recipitur. ‘Whatever is received is received in the manner of the receiver.’ The more open we are to God’s Word, the more productive we become.

4. God’s Word demands the maximum. Jesus spoke to his disciples in parables. The parable of the sower reminds us that we are to strive for maximum productivity. We must remember that Jesus is not giving us options by saying that there are different grades and measures that we can choose from when it comes to our response or productivity. Thus, by citing numbers like 30, or 60, or 100, Jesus is not giving us options. Whatever is less than 100% is just the minimum. But we should always strive for the maximum.

The readings of the day present us with key takeaways. 

1. The power of God’s Word reminds us that we should measure success by faithfulness, not by immediate results. When we sow faithfully, God takes the responsibility for the harvest.

2. The power of God’s Word is such that though it can achieve anything on its own, it depends on our openness and response if we want to reap its fruits.

3. The power of God’s Word demands that we overcome any temptation to fret and fear in life so that we trust the fact that God is strengthening our roots before revealing the fruits. 

Let us pray that we respond to the working of God’s Word to bear fruit a hundredfold. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar