Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 28, 2020
Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”
He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.
“Just as the 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 causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
“Let anyone with ears listen!”
Today’s gospel challenges us to reflect on something a lot of us do not want to think about: death. One day, we shall pass and be removed from this world, becoming just a memory to others.
But God, in giving us free will, allows us to decide how we spend eternity. In Jesus’s parable of the weeds, we are told that if we choose to become like wheat and follow God, we will enter into God’s kingdom for eternity and enjoy everlasting glory. If we choose to become like weeds, choking the growth of our fellow wheat in the field, we risk entering the eternal fire of hell. Just as we are given the option to get out of bed every morning, we are given the option to follow God’s will each and every day. We have the choice of being wheat or weeds for the world.
Keeping an eternal mindset with my death in sight helped me grow tremendously in my journey in Catholicism during my time at Notre Dame. Through an exponential increase in prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament, I have heard God’s call to become nothing less than a beacon of love for my community, my family, friends, and all those I encounter. I strive to be good seed, the salt of the Earth, for I have faith in what lies beyond this world in which we live. The kingdom of heaven and eternal life awaits.
Prayer
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.
Saint of the Day
St. Nazarius was an early Christian martyr who learned the faith from St. Peter himself, and then traveled far and wide to share it with others.
Nazarius’ father was an officer in the Roman army, and his mother was a Christian. Through her, Nazarius was connected to the Christian community in Rome, and he was instructed in the faith by Peter.
Filled with zeal to share the good news with others, Nazarius left Rome to teach the faith to others, and enlisted the help of another young man, Celsus. When they arrived in Milan, they were arrested under a new persecution ordered by the emperor. They were both beheaded and buried in a garden.
Several centuries later, St. Ambrose discovered their remains. In Nazarius’ tomb, Ambrose found bright red, flowing blood that looked as though it had just been spilled. He moved the bodies of these saints into a new church, and a woman who was suffering from a possession was exorcised and liberated at that place through their intercession.
Relics of St. Nazarius rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Nazarius, you were the young man who learned the faith from St. Peter and were killed for sharing it with others—pray for us!