The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us of the role of Providence in caring for our needs and the attention we need to pay to love that requires our intellect, perseverance, and resources to grow and bear fruit.
The Reading from the Book of Exodus describes Providence in the The Quail and the Manna.
* [16:1] On the fifteenth day of the second month: just one full month after their departure from Egypt. Cf. 12:2, 51; Nm 33:3–4. The Septuagint takes the date to be the beginning of the Israelites’ grumbling.
* [16:4] Bread from heaven: as a gift from God, the manna is said to come down from the sky. Cf. Ps 78:24–25; Wis 16:20. Perhaps it was similar to a natural substance that is still found in small quantities on the Sinai peninsula—probably the honey-like resin from the tamarisk tree—but here it is, at least in part, clearly an extraordinary sign of God’s providence. With reference to Jn 6:32, 49–52, the Christian tradition has regarded the manna as a type of the Eucharist. Test: as the text stands, it seems to leave open the question whether the test concerns trusting in God to provide them with the daily gift of food or observing the sabbath instructions.
* [16:15] What is this: the Hebrew man hu is thus rendered by the ancient versions, which understood the phrase as a popular etymology of the Hebrew word man, “manna”; but some render man hu, “This is manna.” (Exodus, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 78 is a recital of God’s Action in history.
* [Psalm 78] A recital of history to show that past generations did not respond to God’s gracious deeds and were punished by God making the gift into a punishment. Will Israel fail to appreciate God’s act—the choosing of Zion and of David? The tripartite introduction invites Israel to learn the lessons hidden in its traditions (Ps 78:1–4, 5–7, 8–11); each section ends with the mention of God’s acts. There are two distinct narratives of approximately equal length: the wilderness events (Ps 78:12–39) and the movement from Egypt to Canaan (Ps 78:40–72). The structure of both is parallel: gracious act (Ps 78:12–16, 40–55), rebellion (Ps 78:17–20, 56–58), divine punishment (Ps 78:21–31, 59–64), God’s readiness to forgive and begin anew (Ps 78:32–39, 65–72). (Psalms, PSALM 78 | USCCB, n.d.)
The Gospel of Matthew proclaims The Parable of the Sower.
* [13:3–8] Since in Palestine sowing often preceded plowing, much of the seed is scattered on ground that is unsuitable. Yet while much is wasted, the seed that falls on good ground bears fruit in extraordinarily large measure. The point of the parable is that, in spite of some failure because of opposition and indifference, the message of Jesus about the coming of the kingdom will have enormous success.
* [13:3] In parables: the word “parable” (Greek parabolē) is used in the LXX to translate the Hebrew māshāl, a designation covering a wide variety of literary forms such as axioms, proverbs, similitudes, and allegories. In the New Testament the same breadth of meaning of the word is found, but there it primarily designates stories that are illustrative comparisons between Christian truths and events of everyday life. Sometimes the event has a strange element that is quite different from usual experience (e.g., in Mt 13:33 the enormous amount of dough in the parable of the yeast); this is meant to sharpen the curiosity of the hearer. If each detail of such a story is given a figurative meaning, the story is an allegory. Those who maintain a sharp distinction between parable and allegory insist that a parable has only one point of comparison, and that while parables were characteristic of Jesus’ teaching, to see allegorical details in them is to introduce meanings that go beyond their original intention and even falsify it. However, to exclude any allegorical elements from a parable is an excessively rigid mode of interpretation, now abandoned by many scholars. (Matthew, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)
Joan Blandin Howard comments that this reading reminds her of the tv commercial of the kindergarten teacher who while wiggling her fingers and smiling says, “You can never have too much glitter!”
In today’s gospel reading, we hear of The Sower, Jesus indiscriminately flinging out fistfuls of seed, glittering graces landing on each of us - we rich, we poor, we lame and disfigured, we healthy, we the just, we the unjust, we warriors and we peace keepers. Jesus glitters, graces each one of us with His love, His joy, His hope. Not because of who I am, what I do or not do, but soley because I am. I am His. He loves and cares for me. God takes me as I am. God wants our best selves to glitter with His endless supply of grace. So, He keeps sowing glittering grace upon all of us!! I invite us today to notice a seed of glittering grace on me and on someone else. Notice how this makes you feel! Notice your own body language. (Blandin Howard, 2025)
Don Schwager quotes “Shallow and rootless minds,” by Cyril of Alexandria (375-444 AD).
"Let us look, as from a broader perspective, at what it means to be on the road. In a way, every road is hardened and foolish on account of the fact that it lies beneath everyone's feet. No kind of seed finds there enough depth of soil for a covering. Instead, it lies on the surface and is ready to be snatched up by the birds that come by. Therefore those who have in themselves a mind hardened and, as it were, packed tight do not receive the divine seed but become a well-trodden way for the unclean spirits. These are what is here meant by 'the birds of the heaven.' But 'heaven' we understand to mean this air, in which the spirits of wickedness move about, by whom, again, the good seed is snatched up and destroyed. Then what are those upon the rock? They are those people who do not take much care of the faith they have in themselves. They have not set their minds to understand the touchstone of the mystery [of communion with Christ]. The reverence these people have toward God is shallow and rootless. It is in times of ease and fair weather that they practice Christianity, when it involves none of the painful trials of winter. They will not preserve their faith in this way, if in times of tumultuous persecution their soul is not prepared for the struggle." (Excerpt from FRAGMENT 168) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15 comments that the manna would serve as a constant reminder that they belonged to the Lord—and that he had covenanted himself to them. He would take care of them no matter what.
God told the Israelites that he would give them manna, “that you may know that I, the Lord, am your God” (Exodus 16:12). He says the very same thing to you when he gives you exactly what you need—that you may know that he is God.
“Lord, I praise you for your unending mercy and compassion!” (Meditation on Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments that in the Exodus passage the Israelites complain of not having bread or meat to eat. The Lord provides a type of bread like coriander seeds that they can grind up to make bread There confusion is expressed in “ Man hu” or What is it? God feeds and satisfies their deepest hunger. The parable of the Sower resonates with the Great Commandment. Seed on the path is about loving God with our intellect. Rocky ground represents loving in persecution and thorns are love of God over love of material wealth. Friar Jude reminds us of the “persecution of pinpricks” that threaten our love of God.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that if we believe the Creator is always critiquing, judging, and punishing everything, it should be no surprise that our entire world is bathed in rage and resentment. Isn’t this, in fact, much of our experience today? Someone must show us the way through. It cannot be done by law or order, but with a remembering of the great and divine pity modeled and taught by saints and prophets.
I surely believe some form of projection of our anger onto others is at the heart of the nonstop world wars of “Christian” nations. It’s at the center of those cultures that encourage punitive or emotionally withholding parents or people with “stiff upper lips.” Crying, at its best, teaches us to hold the emotion instead of projecting it elsewhere.
In Jeremiah’s prophecies, all hopes for the future of the Jewish people lie in those who endured a three-stage process of transformation: first, those who entered into exile; second, those who retained hope and did not turn bitter during that exile; and third, those who returned from exile with generativity and praise in their hearts instead of self-pity.
These people are the change agents for culture, paralleling the classic three stages of purgation, illumination, and union. Each of these stages operates as a change agent in different ways. Into, through, and back home could well be the necessary movements for any of us. [3] (Rohr, n.d.)
We invite the Spirit to illuminate our journey to reveal our contribution of intellect, endurance, and material resources to supporting the Love of God as motivation to live a full life.
References
Blandin Howard, J. (2025, July 23). Daily Reflection July 23, 2025 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved July 23, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-23-2025
Exodus, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 23, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/16?1
Matthew, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 23, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/13
Meditation on Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 23, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/07/23/1338524/
Psalms, PSALM 78 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 23, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/78?18
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Faithful to the Journey. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 23, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/faithful-to-the-journey/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Since They Had No Root They Withered Away. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 23, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=jul23
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