Thirteenth Sunday of Pentecost
1 Corinthians 3:1-11; Luke 8:1-15
Parode
O Christ, You cast Your truth and grace abroad;
the apostles' preaching flies through the world,
their message to the far ends of the earth.
One plants, another waters, but they serve:
God does the work and God gives the increase.
The Church is the field of God's own tilling,
and all others are but His ministers.
Let us remember the sower of seed,
for seeds of truth fall on good and bad soil.
Strophe
A sower went out to sow his seed.
Some of his seed fell by the wayside,
to be trod and eaten by the birds.
Others fell on the rocks, dry and hot;
they were withered in the noonday sun.
Some fell among the thorny briars,
to be smothered by those violent weeds.
But others fell on soil of rich loam,
yielding a harvest one hundredfold.
Antistrophe
The seed is God's holy word, broadcast.
Some by the path have the seed stolen,
the devil snatching away their faith.
Some receive with joy but have no roots,
and in tribulation they wither.
Others hear but never grow to fruit,
stifled by worldly care and pleasure.
But some with bright, noble heart endure:
receiving some truth, they yield much truth.
Exode
O Lord, show your boundless mercy to us;
with Your Spirit, open our hearts to truth.
May we be pure, enlightened, forgiving,
receiving your truth with joy and honor,
nourished by the grace of living waters,
growing in love, in truth, and in mercy,
never distracted by this world's darkness,
but noble and generous in our hearts,
to yield by Your hand a harvest of grace.
