Category: Uncategorized

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Matthew 13: 36-43

Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house.
His disciples approached him and said,
“Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,
the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom.
The weeds are the children of the Evil One,
and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.
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.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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The Sistine Chapel is one of the most iconic works of art ever created. Strewn across the wall where the altar stands is a depiction of the final judgment.

Angels and demons fight for the souls of the just, while the evil ones are pulled down into the netherworld. It’s a jarring but beautiful piece, drawing its inspiration from today’s Gospel.

“Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,” Jesus says, “so it will be at the end of the age.”

Michelangelo reminds us that everyone must stand before the judgment seat of God. But why does God wait until the end of our lives to judge us?

Or, using the imagery from today’s Gospel, why must the weeds co-exist with the wheat?

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When they first sprout, weeds and wheat look quite similar. 

Any seasoned farmer knows that it’s best to wait until the weeds and wheat become fully mature before separating them; otherwise, one may be mistaken for the other.

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In a similar way, Jesus waits until the end of our lives to judge what we’ve become, either a weed or wheat.

It’s his prayer that everyone turns out to be wheat. 

Shouldn’t we pray for the same?

Doing so means three things:

First, that we are patient with ourselves; faith is a life-long journey. Secondly, that we’re patient with others. And, third, that we withhold our judgment of others, never seeing another person as incapable of change.

Rather, like Jesus, we do everything we can to reveal the goodness of God.

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Perhaps this is where Michelangelo’s famous fresco may part from God’s divine plan. Instead of throwing weeds into the fire, hopefully everyone becomes wheat, making it safely home.

God’s grace certainly allows for it.

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Image credits: (1) Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo (2) Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo (3) Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo

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Gospel: Matthew 13: 31-35

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds.
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.
It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.
It becomes a large bush,
and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.”

He spoke to them another parable.
“The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch was leavened.”

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.
He spoke to them only in parables, 
to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:

    I will open my mouth in parables,
    I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Telemachus was one of the early Christian hermits, who spent his life alone in the desert. One day while praying, however, he felt God calling him to Rome.

There he made his way to the Colosseum, where he witnessed gladiators notoriously fighting to their death while bloodthirsty crowds cheered them on.

He was horrified.

Telemachus literally jumped into the arena and tried physically separating the gladiators. People started throwing stones at him, but he kept pushing these men apart until he was finally stoned to death.

When the emperor got word of Telemachus’ story, he was so moved that he ended the gladiator games.

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Telemachus became like the mustard seed in today’s Gospel. He was the smallest of seeds, the most unimportant of people, but he changed an entire culture. 

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That’s the story of Jesus, too. One death changed the course of human history.

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It’s also the story of the Church.

What began with the Twelve Apostles has exploded into a community of more than 1 billion Catholics. That’s a growth of more than 1 million percent!

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What does this say to us?

Just one life dedicated to Christ can change an entire parish; a family; a culture; even the course of human history. 

May we see ourselves like mustard seeds – a force to be reckoned with. 

Telemachus, pray for us.

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Image credits: (1) Foundation for Economic Education (2) Gladiator, Britannica (3) Parable of the Mustard Seed, First15

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Gospel: Matthew 13: 18-23

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Hear the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom
without understanding it,
and the Evil One comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There are different ways of accepting the Word of God. The fruit it bears depends on a person’s heart.

In the Gospel today, the same Word is spoken to different listeners. Some receive it without understanding; the Evil One whispers lies in their heart, stealing what was sown.

Others receive the Word with joy, but their faith lacks any root. Once a trial comes their way, their faith is the first thing to go.

Others receive the Word, but prefer the things of this world to the things that are eternal.

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Finally, there are those whose hearts are like rich, fertile soil. They hear the Word and are permanently changed by it.

But consider the effort it takes to make soil fertile – and by extension, a human heart open to the Word of God.

In order to make soil fertile, you must dig into it; break it; and repeatedly separate it. That period of chaos is what opens the ground, allowing it to receive seeds, and ultimately, to give life.

Any sturdy plant was once a tiny seed placed inside broken, fertile soil.

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What does this mean for us?

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Our hearts are most fertile after being broken. 

Think of any stressful, frustrating, or traumatic experience. In those moments, it feels like we’ve been tossed about – broken inside – much like rich, fertile soil.

They are blessed, Jesus says, the ones who turn to him in that hour. It’s then that the Word of God has the greatest chance to take deep root within us, to change us, and to bear good fruit.

As Saint Paul says, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

These gifts come from within; they’re the fruit of a broken heart receptive to the Word of God.

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How receptive am I to the Word of God? 

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“The seed sown on rich soil,” Jesus says, “is the one who hears and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

May we turn to the Lord in our darkest hours, knowing that when we’re broken, the Word has the greatest potential to take root within, transforming us for the better.

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Image credits: (1) Tumblr, Amazing Inspirational Quotes (2) TechCrunch (3) Iowa Agriculture Literacy