📜 Introit (Psalm 43:23-26; 2)
Exsúrge, quare obdórmis, Dómine? exsúrge, et ne repéllas in finem: quare fáciem tuam avértis, oblivísceris tribulatiónem nostram? adhǽsit in terra venter noster: exsúrge, Dómine, ádjuva nos, et líbera nos. Ps. Deus, áuribus nostris audívimus: patres nostri annuntiavérunt nobis.
Arise, why sleepest Thou, O Lord? Arise, and cast us not off to the end. Why turnest Thou Thy face away, and forgettest our trouble? Our belly hath cleaved to the earth: arise, O Lord, help us and redeem us. Ps. We have heard, O God, with our ears: our fathers have declared to us.
📜 Epistle (2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9)
Fratres: Libénter suffértis insipiéntens: cum sitis ipsi sapiéntes. Sustinétis enim, si quis vos in servitútem rédigit, si quis dévorat, si quis áccipit, si quis extóllitur, si quis in fáciem vos cædit. Secúndum ignobilitátem dico, quasi nos infírmi fuérimus in hac parte. In quo quis audet, (in insipiéntia dico) áudeo et ego: Hebrǽi sunt, et ego: Israelítæ sunt, et ego: Semen Abrahæ sunt, et ego: Minístri Christi sunt, (ut minus sápiens dico) plus ego: in labóribus plúrimis, in carcéribus abundántius, in plagis supra modum, in mórtibus frequénter. A Judǽis quínquies quadragénas, una minus, accépi. Ter virgis cæsus sum, semel lapidátus sum, ter naufrágium feci, nocte et die in profúndo maris fui: in itinéribus sæpe, perículis flúminum, perículis latrónum, perículis ex génere, perículis ex géntibus, perículis in civitáte, perículis in solitúdine, perículis in mari, perículis in falsis frátribus: in labóre et ærúmna, in vigíliis multis, in fame et siti, in jejúniis multis, in frigóre et nuditáte: præter illa, quæ extrínsecus sunt, instántia mea cotidiána, sollicitúdo ómnium Ecclesiárum. Quis infirmátur, et ego non infírmor? quis scandalizátur, et ego non uror? Si gloriári opórtet: quæ infirmitátis meæ sunt, gloriábor. Deus et Pater Dómini nostri Jesu Christi, qui est benedíctus in sǽcula, scit quod non méntior. Damásci præpósitus gentis Arétæ regis, custodiébat civitátem Damascenórum, ut me comprehénderet: et per fenéstram in sporta dimíssus sum per murum, et sic effúgi manus ejus. Si gloriári opórtet (non éxpedit quidem), véniam autem ad visiónes et revelatiónes Dómini. Scio hóminem in Christo ante annos quatuórdecim, (sive in córpore néscio, sive extra corpus néscio, Deus scit:) raptum hujúsmodi usque ad tértium cœlum. Et scio hujúsmodi hóminem, (sive in córpore, sive extra corpus néscio, Deus scit: quóniam raptus est in paradisum: et audivit arcána verba, quæ non licet homini loqui. Pro hujúsmodi gloriábor: pro me autem nihil gloriábor nisi in infirmitátibus meis. Nam, et si volúero gloriári, non ero insípiens: veritátem enim dicam: parco autem, ne quis me exístimet supra id, quod videt in me, aut áliquid audit ex me. Et ne magnitúdo revelatiónem extóllat me, datus est mihi stímulus carnis meæ ángelus sátanæ, qui me colaphízet. Propter quod ter Dóminum rogávi, ut discéderet a me: et dixit mihi: Súfficit tibi grátia mea: nam virtus in infirmitáte perfícitur. Libénter ígitur gloriábor in infirmitátibus meis, ut inhábitet in me virtus Christi.
Brethren: For you gladly suffer the foolish, whereas yourselves are wise. For you suffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take from you, if a man be lifted up, if a man strike you on the face. I speak according to dishonour, as if we had been weak in this part. Wherein if any man dare (I speak foolishly), I dare also. They are Hebrews: so am I. They are Israelites: so am I. They are the seed of Abraham: so am I. They are the ministers of Christ (I speak as one less wise): I am more; in many more labours, in prisons more frequently, in stripes above measure, in deaths often. Of the Jews five times did I receive forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I was in the depth of the sea. In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren. In labour and painfulness, in much watchings, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Besides those things which are without: my daily instance, the solicitude for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is scandalized, and I am not on fire? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my infirmity. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knoweth that I lie not. At Damascus, the governor of the nation under Aretas the king, guarded the city of the Damascenes, to apprehend me. And through a window in a basket I was let down by the wall, and so escaped his hands. If I must glory (it is not expedient indeed): but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ above fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I know not, or out of the body, I know not; God knoweth), such a one caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I know not: God knoweth) that he was caught up into paradise, and heard secret words, which it is not granted to man to utter. For such a one I will glory; but for myself I will glory nothing, but in my infirmities. For though I should have a mind to glory, I shall not be foolish; for I will say the truth. But I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth in me, or any thing he heareth from me. And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, there was given me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me. For which thing thrice I besought the Lord, that it might depart from me. And he said to me: My grace is sufficient for thee; for power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
📜 Gospel (Luke 8:4-15)
In illo témpore: Cum turba plúrima convenírent, et de civitátibus properárent ad Jesum, dixit per similitúdinem: Exiit, qui séminat, semináre semen suum: et dum séminat, áliud cécidit secus viam, et conculcátum est, et vólucres cœli comedérunt illud. Et áliud cécidit supra petram: et natum áruit, quia non habébat humórem. Et áliud cécidit inter spinas, et simul exórtæ spinæ suffocavérunt illud. Et áliud cécidit in terram bonam: et ortum fecit fructum céntuplum. Hæc dicens, clamábat: Qui habet aures audiéndi, audiat. Interrogábant autem eum discípuli ejus, quæ esset hæc parábola. Quibus ipse dixit: Vobis datum est nosse mystérium regni Dei, céteris autem in parábolis: ut vidéntes non videant, et audientes non intéllegant. Est autem hæc parábola: Semen est verbum Dei. Qui autem secus viam, hi sunt qui áudiunt: déinde venit diábolus, et tollit verbum de corde eórum, ne credéntes salvi fiant. Nam qui supra petram: qui cum audierint, cum gáudio suscipiunt verbum: et hi radíces non habent: qui ad tempus credunt, et in témpore tentatiónis recédunt. Quod autem in spinas cécidit: hi sunt, qui audiérunt, et a sollicitudínibus et divítiis et voluptátibus vitæ eúntes, suffocántur, et non réferunt fructum. Quod autem in bonam terram: hi sunt, qui in corde bono et óptimo audiéntes verbum rétinent, et fructum áfferunt in patiéntia.
At that time, when a very great multitude was gathered together, and they hastened out of the cities unto him, he spoke by a similitude. The sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And other some fell upon a rock: and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And other some fell among thorns, and the thorns growing up with it, choked it. And other some fell upon good ground; and being sprung up, yielded fruit a hundredfold. Saying these things, he cried out: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And his disciples asked him what this parable might be. To whom he said: To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to the rest in parables, that seeing they may not see, and hearing may not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. And they by the way side are they that hear; then the devil cometh, and taketh the word out of their heart, lest believing they should be saved. Now they upon the rock, are they who when they hear, receive the word with joy: and these have no roots; for they believe for a while, and in time of temptation, they fall away. And that which fell among thorns, are they who have heard, and going their way, are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and yield no fruit. But that on the good ground, are they who in a good and perfect heart, hearing the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit in patience.
🌱 The soil of the soul and grace in weakness
The liturgy of Sexagesima Sunday confronts us with the spiritual reality that we are the field where God, the divine Sower, casts the seed of His Word. The Parable of the Sower, explained by Our Lord in the Gospel, serves as an examination of conscience in preparation for Lent, questioning us about what kind of soil we have been. Saint Augustine, meditating on this passage, teaches that the human heart is this ground and that the diversity of soils represents the different dispositions of the soul in welcoming the Truth. "Consider yourselves, and see what kind of hearers you are... Why did the seed fall by the wayside? Because it was not cared for. Why on the rock? Because it had no root. Why among the thorns? Because it was choked. And why did one yield a hundred, another sixty, and another thirty? The harvest was diverse, but it was all good soil" (Saint Augustine, Sermon 73). This "good soil" is the humble and docile heart that, according to the Gospel, "hearing the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit in patience." Patience is the virtue of fertile land, the perseverance that allows the seed to germinate and grow amidst trials. It is here that the Epistle of Saint Paul connects in a sublime way. The Apostle, the greatest of sowers after Christ, reveals that his field of apostolate was watered by innumerable sufferings. He does not glory in his heavenly visions, but in his weaknesses, for it was in his powerlessness that the strength of Christ was fully manifested: "My grace is sufficient for thee; for power is made perfect in infirmity." The life of Saint Paul is the living exegesis of the parable: a ground once stony and full of the thorns of Pharisaical pride that, tilled by the plow of conversion on the road to Damascus, became the most fertile of soils. The "thorn in the flesh" that tormented him did not choke the seed, but, on the contrary, kept the soil of his soul humble and dependent on grace, allowing the "power of Christ" to dwell in him. The Roman Missal, through the Introit "Arise, O Lord... help us and redeem us," echoes this cry of the soul that recognizes its own insufficiency. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, grace is "a gratuitous gift from God" and "a participation in the divine life" (CCC, 1996, 1999), without which no fruit can be produced. Thus, Sexagesima teaches us that preparation for Easter does not consist in a purely human effort of self-perfection, but in a work of humility: to recognize the aridity of our soil, to courageously uproot the thorns of disordered attachments, and to beseech the rain of divine grace, so that, like Saint Paul, we may glory not in our strengths, but in our weaknesses, where the power of God performs its greatest works.