26-Jul-16

Gospel MT 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.”
Reflection:
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."
It would be easy to misunderstand Jesus' explanation of "the weeds in the field."
He is not saying that we were either sown by God or by the Devil, and therefore the dye is cast and we have no say in the matter.
God has given us free will. Today's gospel calls me to reflect on what kind of seed I am and what kind of seeds I am sowing.
Our ideas, attitudes, and actions are like seeds. Every word that comes from our mouths fall on someone's ear. We must be careful of our words and actions for we are also sowers of seeds.
Not long ago, a well intentioned father brought his rebellious teenage son to My Brother's Keeper.
John sat listening as his father said, "Jim, I told John that he has to volunteer here."
"No," I replied gently, "John doesn't have to volunteer here. My Brother's Keeper is not a place where people have to come. This is a place for people who want to be here."
I suggested his dad have a cup of coffee while John and I talked.
After explaining our mission and the services we provide, I said, "John, you appear to be a nice person. Why don't you take a few days to think about it and then let me know if you'd like to volunteer here."
A week later, John went on his first delivery.
Before he left, I asked him, "So, John, did you enjoy your day?"
With a big smile, John replied, "Yeah, I loved it. I'll be back."
Jesus tells us that during the harvest, the Angels will separate the wheat from the weeds.
Through planting seeds of goodness and inviting others to help spread love and hope, we enable people to grow in the likeness of Christ.
Just as Christ turned water into wine at Cana, we can also be "seeds" for change.
"For even the weeds of the field look beautiful to God when they bloom." - - Unknown