Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 30, 2019
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.”
Today’s Gospel challenges us to reflect on something a lot of us do not want to think about: our 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 has helped me grow tremendously in my journey in Catholicism here 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 residence hall, Keenan Hall, as well as for 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
Merciful God, again and again you invite us to the renewal of our lives. May we seek You in all the events of this day, and recognize your presence in our midst. May we never cease our search for you, especially through our struggles and uncertainty. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Peter Chrysologus was a pivotal bishop who preserved the faith in his region of Italy in the fifth century. He was an adult convert to Christianity, then was ordained a deacon and priest before being raised to bishop of Ravenna in 433.
Many people were still practicing paganism in Ravenna when he began his work there, and this caused other Christians to fall away from the faith. He reformed and solidified the church there by encouraging frequent reception of Communion and with his preaching. Many of his homilies are still intact—most are brief because he did not want to exhaust the attention of his listeners. “Anyone who wishes to frolic with the devil cannot rejoice with Christ,” he told his people.
The witness of his life also converted many back to the faith—he was known to have offered many works of mercy, and he attended to the people under his care with diligence.
His title, “Chrysologus,” means “golden-tongued” so we know that he had a great impact on those who heard him. During his homilies, he would become so excited and animated that he would find himself at a loss for words. His simple and straightforward explanations of what we believe led the Church to declare him a doctor of the faith. He joins 36 other saints who are also known as doctors for the way their words or example taught the faith to others. His relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
This is an excerpt from one of his homilies:
Listen to the Lord’s appeal: … You may run away from me as the Lord, but why not run to me as your father? Perhaps you are filled with shame ... Do not be afraid. This cross inflicts a mortal injury, not on me, but on death. These nails no longer pain me, but only deepen your love for me. I do not cry out because of these wounds, but through them I draw you into my heart. My body was stretched on the cross as a symbol, not of how much I suffered, but of my all-embracing love. I count it no less to shed my blood: it is the price I have paid for your ransom. Come, then, return to me and learn to know me as your father, who repays good for evil, love for injury, and boundless charity for piercing wounds.
St. Peter Chrysologus, the doctor of the Church who preached with golden words, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Peter Chrysologus is in the public domain. Last accessed March 20, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
