News - July 2023 RSS Feed

Today, we hear the conclusion of the thirteenth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel. For three weeks, we have been listening to Jesus instruct His disciples, the crowds, and us about the kingdom of heaven. He describes the great value of the kingdom of heaven. The Gospel reminds us of the great gift that we have been given by our loving God. Our faith, like the kingdom of heaven, is a treasure. Jesus’ gift of His Body, broken and shared for us all, is a treasure. In this year of Eucharistic Revival, let us thank our God for bestowing us with the greatest gift and treasure of all—the Body and Blood of Jesus the Christ in the Eucharist.

In our daily lives, it can be challenging to persevere in faith, in charity, and in kindness in dealing with others who are different than us, especially if they have different opinions or different ways of life. In the Gospel today, Jesus continues to teach us by using three parables to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. Contained within the three parables of today’s Gospel are words of caution as well as consolation. In the parable of the Sower, we are warned against judging others. To judge and uproot the “weeds” prematurely will harm the wheat, final judgment rests with God. In the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast, we are consoled by the message that God can work wonders and produce abundance from even the smallest beginnings of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Today’s Gospel begins with the words, “On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.” Many of us may wish to do the same thing on this midsummer day. We can imagine the feeling right now, leaving our home and finding a nice refreshing spot where we can relax. We can further imagine being part of the crowd that walked down to the seashore to listen to Jesus as He got into a boat and preached. Jesus teaches the crowd and us today using the image of a seed. The parable today calls us to see more clearly and to listen more carefully to the voice of Jesus

The summer is flying by! Hopefully, you have or will have some “down-time” this summer before the start of school. As we come here to celebrate the Eucharist, the burdens of life may weigh heavy on our minds, our hearts, and our bodies. We may be tired from working all week. We may be anxious about the health of family members. We may be mourning the loss of a loved one. We may be just plain weary, physically or emotionally. In today’s Gospel, Jesus invites all of us to go to Him. He says, “Come to me, all who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” May we listen to and accept Jesus’ invitation.