Sunday, July 12, 2026

Dear brothers and sisters,

We need to eat and drink because our bodies require a constant supply of energy, water, and nutrients to sus-tain life, promote growth, support healthy functioning, and maintain overall our well-being. Yet when our eat-ing habits are not guided by balance and wisdom, they can produce harmful effects and severe consequences. It can happen when we skip meals or eat inconsistently; and accordingly, our digestive system, like a machine that cannot function properly without a regular rhythm, will struggle. It can happen when the food and drink we consume are contaminated with toxins or harmful chemicals that damage our internal organs. It can also happen when we eat too little or too much, or when our diet is excessively rich in sugar, salt, fat, or other un-healthy ingredients. Such habits can affect our weight, weaken our immune system, diminish our quality of life, and increase the risk of serious illness. 

In a similar way, we Catholics need to listen to God’s Word every day. Through His Word, we learn how to live according to His will, act in harmony with the Gospel, and walk “through Him, with Him, and in Him.” His Word nourishes our souls, strengthens our faith, deepens our hope, and inflames our love. It enlightens our minds so that we can distinguish right from wrong, make wise decisions, and remain faithful to our Chris-tian calling. His Word also gives us the strength to endure trials, persevere through difficulties, fulfill the mis-sion entrusted to us, and overcome temptation with peace, courage, and trust in His providence. It reminds us of who we are: beloved children of God, Christan disciples called to witness to His Good News. 

However, as Jesus teaches in this weekend’s Gospel, merely hearing God’s Word is not enough. Just as food and drink can harm rather than help us when they are received improperly, so too the Word of God can fail to bear fruit when it is not welcomed with the right disposition. 

This happens when we allow the distractions of the world, the confusion of society, and the influence of those who reject God to “eat it up.” It happens when the pressures of daily life, spiritual complacency, and countless excuses prevent the seed of God’s Word from taking root and growing within us. It happens when hardships, disappointments, suffering, and sorrow cause us to lose heart, so that the Word withers before it can mature into steadfast faith. It also happens when sinful desires, unhealthy attachments, worldly ambitions, and persis-tent temptations choke the Word of God, preventing it from bearing the fruits of holiness and discipleship. 

Therefore, we must not only listen to God’s Word, but receive it with open hearts, nurture it through prayer and reflection, and put it into practice through faithful action. When the seed of God’s Word falls on good soil, it takes deep root, flourishes, and produces fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. 

Sincerely yours in Jesus Christ and Our Lady of La Vang! 

Reverend Kiet Anh Ta.