XVII Sunday in OT:[A]: 1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12; Rom 8:28-30; Mt 13:44-52

XVII Sunday in OT:[A]: 1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12; Rom 8:28-30; Mt 13:44-52

Introduction:  In the gospel text of today, Jesus elaborated by means of two parables his own injunction to seek first the Kingdom of God.  The Kingdom of God is like  treasure hidden in a field, you cannot attain it unless you sell all you have in order to take possession of the field, thus you show how much you value that treasure (Mt 13:44).  The Kingdom of God is like a precious pearl, you cannot possess it unless you sell all you have in order to be with it, thus you show how much the pearl is important for you (Mt 13:45).  There is also mention of another parable, the parable of the dragnet thrown into the sea, of the similar to one about the wheat and the darnel that we saw last Sunday, and the separation process at the end of time.

Exegesis:  In the parable of the hidden treasure, Jesus compares entering the Kingdom of Heaven to a person who unexpectedly stumbles upon a hidden treasure buried in a field while tilling the soil. He buries it again for the field where it is hidden does not belong to him. He does not tell the owner of his discovery, but goes and sells everything he has in order to get ownership of the field and hence of its buried treasure. The idea obviously is that when one really discovers Jesus and his vision of life everything else becomes secondary.

In the parable of the pearl, Jesus tells of a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he finds one of great price, he also sells everything he has in order to acquire it. Both these parables are more or less the same but the difference is in the poor laborer and the rich merchant. Kingdom of Heaven is all-inclusive, available to rich and poor alike. Still, the merchant like the laborer must risk everything to succeed. The Reign of Jesus in our hearts is the buried treasure or the pearl of great price. It is for this that Jesus is asking us to search, and once discovered and its value fully appreciated, sacrifice everything to possess it.  Discipleship is open to all but entails sacrifice. And the outcome of the disciple’s quest is a joy that exceeds imagination when he has found the only truly valuable thing in life.

Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a fishing net which when thrown into the sea collects all sorts of fish. The net could not and does not discriminate. It is left to the fishermen to do the dividing and the separating process. While the first and second parables speak of the total commitment and dedication which are the ideal of every follower of Christ, this third parable try to explain the presence of those evil ones who seem unfit for the Kingdom. The invitation of Jesus to be part of God’s reign is open to rich and poor, good and bad; in fact, many of all sorts are collected into the community of disciples. But at the end there will be a sorting out of those who are worthless and those who have been proven valuable, and reward and punishment will be administered accordingly.

Joke:     A child asked his father, "How were people born?" So his father said, "Adam and Eve made babies, then their babies became adults and made babies, and so on." The child then went to his mother, asked her the same question and she told him, "We were monkeys then we evolved to become like we are now." The child ran back to his father and said, "You lied to me!" His father replied, "No, your mom was talking about her side of the family."

Practical Applications: 1) Live every moment in our life aiming at our precious goal. Most of our activities are oriented to false treasures such as money, social status or worldly pleasures.   Thus, the really valuable pearl of sharing in God’s life through Jesus here on earth and later in Heaven, is never found. Let us always remember that Heaven is within the reach of all of us.  And it should be our priority in life than the worldly pleasures.

2) Keep our greatest treasure safe: priority in using time, talents and valuables should be given to the Kingdom of God. How much time we spend for God? How much of our talents we use for God? How much we spend our valuables for God? How much we keep God’s presence in our lives? Think on these questions for reflection and grade our grade of priority towards God.

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Introduction

Message:  The person with true wisdom, like Solomon, will seek the reign of God and treasure it above all else.  It is more precious than gold and silver.  Thus one becomes conformed to the image of Christ, the Son.     

Saints and Events in this week: 29-Twenty Ninth-Tuesday-Saint Martha; 30-Thirtieth-Wednesday-Saint Peter Chrysologus, bishop, Doctor of the Church; 31-Thirty First-Thursday-Saint Ignatius of Loyola, priest; August 1-First-Friday-Saint Alphonsus Liguori, bishop. Doctor of the church; 2-Second-Saturday-Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, bishop Saint Peter Julian Eymard, priest; 

XVI Sunday in OT:[A]:Wis 12:13,16-19;Rom8:26-27;Mt13:24-43

XVI Sunday in OT:[A]:Wis 12:13,16-19;Rom8:26-27;Mt13:24-43

Introduction: In the Gospel passage for today, the parable of the wheat and the weeds, Jesus presents a wise and patient God who allows the good and the evil to coexist in the world. "Let the seed and the darnel grow together till the harvest time.” God awaits repentant sinners, giving them the strength to acknowledge their weakness. Through the parable of the wheat and the weeds in today’s Gospel, Jesus calls us to be patient with those who fail to meet the high ethical standard expected of a Christian.

Explanation:  Most of those who heard Jesus were farmers and they could readily understand that one cannot easily distinguish weeds from wheat when the plants are very small. It is only when they have grown taller that the difference becomes apparent. By that time, however, the roots are so intertwined that one cannot pull out the weeds without severely damaging the wheat. Only at the harvest can the separation be made safely. 

The spiritual reality being illustrated is the congregation of believers. It is often impossible to know who may be for sure the true and faithful followers of Jesus since we can usually judge only by appearances. In Jesus' day, the Scribes and Pharisees seemed to be the most religious of all, yet he rejected them for lack of interior conversion. In particular, they thought they knew for sure who were the "weeds" and who were the "wheat." And they were sure that those whom they rejected were rejected by God also. The gospels tell us that Jesus thought otherwise. 

Too many Christians today are like over-zealous servants who could not tolerate the evil weeds. In their zeal to serve God they go on a crusade against those they perceive as evil with the intention of cleaning up the church, the nation, or the world. In the end they discover they have made a big mistake.

Anecdote:  A little boy not familiar with an echo thought he had heard in the woods the voice of another boy not far off. He shouted: “Hello, there!” and the voice shouted back, “Hello, there!” He cried again: “Who are you?” and the voice replied, “Who are you?” He cried once more: “You mean boy,” and the cry came back: “You mean boy.” Then this little boy went home and told his mother that there was a bad boy in the woods. His mother understood how it was and said to him, “Well, speak kindly to him and see if he does not speak kindly to you.” The boy went to the woods again and shouted, “You are a good boy.” “Of course, the echoing reply came, “You are a good boy.” “I love you,” he said loudly. “I love you,” replied the faithful echo. The story of the echo is the story of the good and bad in life.

Joke:  An elderly woman called 911 on her cell phone to report that her car had been broken in to.

She is hysterical as she explains her situation to the dispatcher: "They've stolen the stereo, the steering wheel, the brake pedal and even the accelerator!" she cried.

The dispatcher said, "Stay calm. An officer is on the way."

A few minutes later, the officer radios in. "Disregard." He says. "She got in the back-seat by mistake."

Practical Applications:1) We need to practice patience and show mercy.  Let us patiently and lovingly treat the “weeds” in our society as our brothers and sisters and do all in our power to put them back on the right road to heaven, especially by our good example and our fervent prayer for their conversion.

2) We need to grow up as healthy wheat in God’s field, leaving the weeds for Jesus to take care of.  The Good News is that growth and maturity are probably the most effective forms of weed control.  In the end, it’s enough to know that we are “seeds” who have been planted by God and that we are part of a healthy harvest that will someday be reaped by the angels of God.  Our exemplary Christian lives will be a compelling challenge and a forceful invitation to evildoers to repent of their sinful lives and turn to God.

Introduction:  Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Message:  In his patience, the Lord allows both weeds and wheat to grow together, both saints and sinners to respond to salvation in the Kingdom.  This Lord is good and forgiving, lenient to all, desiring repentance for our sins. May the Spirit assist us in our weaknesses!

Saints and Events in this Week:  22-Twenty Second-Tuesday-Saint Mary Magdalene; 23-Wednesday-Saint Bridget of Sweden, religious; 24-Twenty Forth-Thursday-Saint Sharbel Makhluf, priest; 25-Twenty Fifth-Saint James, Apostle; 26-Twenty Sixth-Saturday-Saints Joachim and Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

XV Sunday in OT:[A]: Is 55:10-11; Rom 8:18-23; Mt 13:1-23

XV Sunday in OT:[A]: Is 55:10-11; Rom 8:18-23; Mt  13:1-23

Introduction: Today is the 15^th Sunday in Ordinary Time and the Scripture Readings of today emphasize the constant and powerful action of the 'Word of God' to enlighten and to move our minds and hearts to believe in Him and to act accordingly. In the First Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, Isaiah compares the power of the word of God with rain and thereby its effect on us. Just as rain falls and makes the earth fertile and fruitful, so the word of God comes down to us and enriches our lives. If our lives are not enriched then we frustrate God. In the Second Reading from his Letter to the Romans, St. Paul refers to the fact that all humans and all creation suffer because of sin and he assures us that the present sufferings are nothing compared to future glory that awaits at the end of the process. In the Gospel Reading from St. Matthew, Jesus tells us 'The Parable of the Sower.' He emphasizes the variety of responses to the word of God. It is not due to God’s seed (word) that the harvest fails in some people’s lives, but the manner in which it is received. “The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.”

Exegesis:  The parable of the Sower speaks to all of us. If we examine and tell ourselves the truth, each one of us will convincingly find our position within it, the type of soil we are and how far we have handled the seed sown in us. What do we do with the Word of God we hear proclaimed to us every day is one important question. This is because, for many, we have become used to it that it no longer makes meaning to us, and we have developed a very hard and tough skin towards it that it can no longer penetrate the walls of our heart. Do we still heed the call and instruction of the Word of God, and has it brought any ontological or functional change in our lives? If after hearing this Word preached to us every day and we still did not make heaven, who is to blame? Our pastors, priests, parents, brothers and sisters, who else? Of course, the obvious answer is, “I”, because to whom much is given much is expected. The Word of God is meant to transform us and help us live a better and healthier life.

Joke: A young man was walking through a supermarket to pick up a few things when he noticed an old lady following him around. Thinking nothing of it, he ignored her and continued on. Finally he went to the checkout line, but she got in front of him. "Pardon me," she said, "I'm sorry if my staring at you has made you feel uncomfortable. It's just that you look just like my son, who just died recently." "I'm very sorry," replied the young man, "is there anything I can do for you?" "Yes," she said, "As I'm leaving, can you say 'Good bye, Mother'? It would make me feel so much better." "Sure," answered the young man.
As the old woman was leaving, he called out, "Goodbye, Mother!" As he stepped up to the checkout counter, he saw that his total was $127.50. "How can that be?" He asked, "I only purchased a few things!" "Your mother said that you would pay for her," said the clerk.

Reflection: Finger pointing isn't much of a solution. God spoke to Adam. Adam was in charge. Adam was God's right-hand man, the one to whom He had given dominion, power and authority. Adam was responsible. Adam could have confessed his sin right then and there. The outcome may have likely been the same, but it would have been the mature thing to do. But notice how fear and self-condemnation so quickly twists one's way of thinking. “Then the man said, 'The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.'”(3:12) Adam blamed the woman and blamed God for giving him the woman. “It wasn't me! She made me do it!” Sounds like present-day children blaming a sibling after being caught with their hand in the cookie jar. If we want to be word and light in a culture of blame shifting, then the Christian response is clear: We need to take ownership for our own wrong-doings. We need to accept the blame when we make a mistake, and we need to teach our children to do the same.

Fifteenth Sunday in OT: Introduction

   

Message: “The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest”. May the soil of our hearts be receptive to the Word and carry it out through the presence of the Spirit.

Saints and Events in this Week: 14-Forteenth-Monday-Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, virgin; 15-Fifteenth-Tuesday-Saint Bonaventure, bishop, doctor of the Church; 16-Sixteenth-Wednesday-Our Lady of Mount Carmel; 18-Eighteenth-Friday-Saint Camillus de Lellis, priest