Jul 19 2020 Reflection

Sunday 19 July 2020

First Reading: WIS 12:13, 16-19
Responsorial Psalm:
Lord, you are good and forgiving.
PS 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16
Second Reading: ROM 8:26-27
Gospel Reading: MT 13:24-30

Today’s Note: Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel Reading:

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying:
“The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man
who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep his enemy came
and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.
When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.
The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where have the weeds come from?’
He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’
His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds
you might uproot the wheat along with them.
Let them grow together until harvest;
then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
“First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

Reflection:

The kingdom of heaven is like . . . (Matthew 13:31, 33)

In his parable of the weeds among the wheat, Jesus confirms what we already know to be true: evil exists in the world. We see evidence of it all around us. Sometimes it even seems as if evil is winning out. Will the weeds eventually choke out the wheat and overrun the field of God’s kingdom?

Jesus assures us that it will not. In the end, the angels of God will sort the good from the bad, and evil will be destroyed forever (Matthew 13:41). The fact is, by his death and resurrection, Jesus has already won the victory over evil. Someday God’s kingdom will reign over all the earth.

Meanwhile, how can we hasten its coming? It’s significant that after telling the first parable about the weeds and the wheat, Jesus tells two more parables about the kingdom of heaven. It’s like a tiny mustard seed that grows into a large bush (Matthew 13:31-32). It’s like a little yeast that leavens a whole loaf of bread (13:33). These are hopeful images! God’s kingdom isn’t static. It begins in many small ways and then grows and grows. 

You have a part to play in its growth! With every prayer, with every act of faith, with every good deed, you help to build the kingdom of heaven on earth. Making time for prayer, worshipping at Mass, helping the poor, sharing your faith, reaching out to a friend in need, speaking out in defense of life—in these ways and more, you can participate in growing God’s kingdom. Yes, they can seem like small things. But so are the mustard seed and that little pinch of yeast. 

So don’t get discouraged by the evil you see, and don’t give up hope. Believe that your small acts of faithfulness really do make a difference. And taken together with other believers, they become a mighty force in choking out the weeds of this world.

“Lord, may your kingdom come!”