Sunday, July 20, 2014
16th Sunday
in Ordinary Time
1st Reading: Wisdom 12:13,16-19 2nd Reading:
Romans 8:26-27
Gospel: Matthew 13:24-43
or 13:24-30
Jesus told them another parable, “The kingdom of heaven can be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and left.
When the plants sprouted and produced grain, the weeds also appeared. Then the servants of the owner came to him and said: ‘Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?’
He answered them: ‘This is the work of an enemy.’ They asked him: ‘Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?’ He told them: ‘No, when you pull up the weeds, you might uproot the wheat with them. Let them just grow together until harvest; and at harvest time I will say to the workers: Pull up the weeds first, tie them in bundles and burn them; then gather the wheat into my barn.” (…)
Then he sent the crowds away and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” Jesus answered them, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed are the people of the Kingdom; the weeds are those who follow the evil one. The enemy who sows them is the devil; the harvest is the end of time and the workers are the angels.
Just as the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom all that is scandalous and all who do evil. And these will be thrown in the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the just will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. If you have ears, then hear.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
An old woman prays aloud in this fashion: “Lord, please weed out all bad elements of society”. Overhearing the prayer her daughter-in-law remarks to herself: “Will she be spared?” We like the remark. A person provoking God that way is digging his own grave.
We are all sinners. Even a just man falls seven times a day (see Proverbs 24:16). We sin in thoughts, words, actions, and even in neglecting to do what we are supposed to do. Who can be justified in front of God? No one, therefore, can pray to the Lord to weed out bad people in the world without ultimately asking for his own death. If one wants a good world he can make one by being better; if one wants a better world he can make one by being the best; if one wants the best world, he can start by building down here the kingdom of the Lord. — Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com. Website: www.frdan.org.
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