Daily Gospel Reflection

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August 1, 2023

Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Mt 13:36-43
Listen to the Audio Version

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

Cole Bohnen ’26
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To find the deeper meaning of this passage, I went back into the same chapter of Matthew and read his initial telling of the parable of the weeds. The chapter displays one of the primary themes of the Bible: God’s immaculate goodness.

In the divine plan for creation, God has given us a spotless garden bed to grow “good seed.” The vocabulary used here, particularly the repeated use of the word “good,” harkens back to Genesis, where we originally learn of God’s personal goodness.

Imperfection is introduced, not at the hands of God, but at the hands of the devil, or “the enemy,” as he is referred to in the passage. This enemy sows the evil seed; however, this seed will ultimately be subject to fire and flames at the end of days, whereas the good seed will flourish.

These two don’t exist entirely separately. They occupy the same space and fight for dominion over the same resources. This evil seed is the temptation in our own lives: just as a weed can choke the life from a bountiful crop, so too can our temptations, whether they are subliminal or are actively brought out by those around us, stray our attention and focus in life from God. Just as the farmer burns the weeds at harvest, we must ensure our salvation by growing separate from our temptations.

Although this message can be disturbing and cause fear in the hearts of even the most righteous Christians, we must not forget that we are not alone in this journey. Just as the weeds are the doing of the evil one, so are we tools at the disposal of our glorious creator. We must use our light to help others achieve the same eternity we dream of, and we must always go to our excellent farmer for help in being his hands and feet or even his bountiful crop here on Earth.

Prayer

Rev. Matt Fase, C.S.C.

Eternal Father, you look up on all of creation with great love. In your wisdom and patience you allow the weeds to grow up alongside the wheat. When we encounter wickedness in the world, may we stay firm in our faith and trust in your providential love. Through the grace of your Son Jesus Christ, may we remain in your love, and so bear much fruit.