Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A
July 23, 2017
Gospel: Mt 13:24-30
Jesus proposed another parable (1) to the crowds, saying: "The
kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed (2) 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."'"
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The difficult words
(1)A parable is a story or comparison used
to teach others.
(2)To sow means to plant seeds.
This week’s spotlight
Repentance
In today's first reading, there is a sentence that
says God gives his children ‘‘hope that you would permit repentance"
(Wisdom 12:19). God is gentle and forgiving, always ready to give another
chance to those who have repentance. Repentance is the desire to change and do
better. God does not want to destroy anyone. Jesus died on the cross even for
people we consider "bad." God waits patiently for us to change our actions and attitudes.
The kingdom of heaven
In the Gospel, Jesus often speaks about the Kingdom of
God. To explain what it is, he uses parables. He says, for example, that the
Kingdom of God is like a feast to which we are invited, or a pearl of great
value. This Sunday, Jesus' parable is about a field. In all of these parables,
we understand that the kingdom is something that is happening, growing, being
discovered now, but that is not yet finished. To put it another way, the
Kingdom of God is both "already" here and "not yet” here.
Reflection
To each his own work!
Jesus’ story this week is about a field
where both weeds and good wheat are growing. If we were the farmers, we might
want to pull out those weeds right away. We would want to get rid of whatever
could harm our crop! But Jesus explains that if you pull out the weeds, you
also risk pulling out the good wheat. Plus, when wheat is first sprouting, it’s
hard to tell the difference between weeds and wheat. Jesus uses this parable to
remind us that God judges things differently than we do. He is very patient.
God wills all people to be saved and to come to the truth! Jesus invites us to
be more patient with each other and to stop judging each other. Even sinners
can change and repent! It’s not our job to decide who is good and bad; who
deserves love and who doesn’t. Our job is to do what is right, to love as God
loves. It's Jesus’ job to be Master of the harvest. So, to each his own work!
Discussion questions
1.What does Jesus teach with this story about weeds and wheat?
2.How does Jesus want us to grow?
3.Why does God allow the weeds to grow?
After
receiving Holy Communion,
you can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in
communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. Through
this Communion with the Body and Blood of
your Son Jesus, make your kingdom grow within me. Help me always to
admit my faults, and to be patient with the faults of others.
This week…
Avoid judging others
Sometimes, when you find that a person is behaving
badly, it is tempting to want to tell them that they are stupid or worthless.
This week, try to hold your tongue and look at others with generosity and
understanding. After all, how do you want others to treat you and think of you
when you are the one misbehaving?
Saying good things
Each day of this week, choose a member of your family
or a friend and think about three of their best, qualities. When we look for
and see what is really good about people, we see them as God does. Loving
others as God loves them helps make the Kingdom of God more visible in our
world. It shows that we are good wheat, not weeds.
Decoder Puzzle
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