Parable Of The Weeds

July 24, 2021, Saturday
Saturday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
(Opt. Mem.) Saint Sharbel Makhlūf, Priest (White)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 400

Reading I
Ex 24:3-8

When Moses came to the people
and related all the words and ordinances of the LORD,  
they all answered with one voice,
“We will do everything that the LORD has told us.”
Moses then wrote down all the words of the LORD and,
rising early the next day,
he erected at the foot of the mountain an altar
and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. 
Then, having sent certain young men of the children of Israel
to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice young bulls
as peace offerings to the LORD,
Moses took half of the blood and put it in large bowls;
the other half he splashed on the altar.
Taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud to the people,
who answered, “All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do.”
Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying,
“This is the blood of the covenant
that the LORD has made with you
in accordance with all these words of his.”

Responsorial Psalm
50:1b-2, 5-6, 14-15

R.     (14a)  Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.

God the LORD has spoken and summoned the earth,
    from the rising of the sun to its setting.
From Zion, perfect in beauty,
    God shines forth.

R.    Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.

“Gather my faithful ones before me,
    those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
    for God himself is the judge.

R.    Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.

“Offer to God praise as your sacrifice
     and fulfill your vows to the Most High;
Then call upon me in time of distress;
     I will rescue you, and you shall glorify me.”

R.    Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.

Alleluia
Jas 1:21bc

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you
and is able to save your souls.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Mt 13:24-30

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds.
“The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man
who sowed 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.”’”

REFLECTION:

Sometimes we may think that perfection is acquired by becoming aware of our faults and working to root these out. However, when we become more familiar with Jesus’ attitude to the limited and sinful side of ourselves we learn to accept our limited and sinful self just as Jesus did with Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). If we don’t accept this side of ourselves, we tend to become fixated with it and fail to appreciate the fullness of life Jesus has already given us.

The lesson is: We require patience, and trust that this most experienced of cultivators – the Lord of Creation – has the matter well in hand.

Be with Jesus and let him teach you to let the weeds grow with the wheat lest seeking to root them or you might fail to appreciate all that is good and even beautiful about your life.

PRAYER:

Good and evil co-exist in human life and in the world. Nothing or no one is perfect. We are all in need of forgiveness and redemption. Lord Jesus, you know my strengths and my weaknesses. Help me to produce a rich harvest of good works to the greater glory of the Father.