Tag: wheat

“Then the righteous will shine like the sun.” | Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name; Deliver us and pardon our sins for your name’s sake. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 13:36-43)

“The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

In response to the disciples, Jesus explains the parable of the weeds and the wheat. The Son of Man, Jesus tells them, is the one who sows good seed. “The weeds are the children of the Evil One,” he says, “and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.” In the end of the age, the Son of Man will send his angels for the final judgment. Among the worst places to be in this depiction of Jesus is one of those who causes others to sin. In alarming clarity, Jesus himself describes the reality of the devil and evil spirits. To cooperate with them, to turn away from God, is to sin and position oneself to cause others to sin—a place of misery. But God has a place for the righteous, a place in the Kingdom of the Father, where those who hear and obey him will shine like the sun in everlasting bliss.

God, for the glory of your name, help me remember to come to you without hesitation in this life so I am prepared to give you unending thanks and praise in the life of the world to come. Jeremiah says, “Is it not you alone, O LORD, our God, to whom we look? You alone have done all these things.” Help me look to you alone, Lord, to remain in your word and to turn away from the Evil One. Deliver me, free me from death, and forgive my sins for your name’s sake. Saint Peter Chrysologus, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 13:36-43)

Jesus said to his disciples: “The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus explains the parable of the weeds among the wheat. In his own words, the Son of God teaches us about the final judgment and the distinction between the righteous and the wicked. The harvest, or final judgment, represents the end of the age when the angels will separate the righteous from the wicked. Jesus also says that he is the sower. Although the enemy who sows the weeds is the devil, Jesus himself is the sower. Dwelling on that offers consolation while considering that the Son of Man will send his angels to toss into the fiery furnace all those who cause others to sin and all evildoers, while the righteous in heaven will shine like the sun.

God, help me understand the parables you shared with the disciples and share today with all believers who hear your word. Evil is a reality in this world, and working through that every day presents me with many more challenges than I can take alone. Stay beside me and be merciful, Lord, as I navigate this world where good and evil exist side by side. Strengthen me to persevere in the face of evil and let me work toward the eternal reward of life in your kingdom.

From the responsorial psalm: “Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him. Saint Alphonsus Liguori, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 13:24-43)

Jesus said to his disciples: “Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches important truths about the kingdom of heaven through his parables as he recognizes the coexistence of good and evil in the world. In the reality of the fallen world we live in, it is striking how Jesus depicts those who cause others to sin and their final judgment. Elsewhere in the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus says: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” These little ones— ones who are innocent or poor in spirit or waiting for the Lord’s mercy with contrite hearts—have understanding of the mysteries of the kingdom and are precious in his eyes.

God, thank you for your patience and mercy. Just as the owner of the field allows the wheat and the weeds to grow together until the harvest, you give me an opportunity to repent and turn to you time and time again through my contrition and the sacrament of reconciliation. That you allow the evil one to sow weeds and yet bring good out of it is a mystery. Almighty Father, although evil is contrary to your being and you do not eliminate it, you allow me to make a choice to return to you to receive your grace and repentance. And you do this for all who turn to you.

Lord, intercede for me today when my spirit is weak and I forget you. As Saint Paul says, “And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.