Where there is life, there is always hope of redemption and of the triumph of good over evil

Reading: Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear. Matthew 13:43.

Good morning, happy Tuesday, and many blessings my dear family.

In today’s Gospel (Matthew 13:36-43) reading, the disciples ask Jesus to explain the parable of the weeds in the field. Jesus tells his disciples that the Son of Man (Jesus) sows only good seed in the fields.  The good seeds are “the children of the kingdom and they bear abundant fruit.”  Then Jesus tells his disciples that the weeds in the field are the children of the Evil One.  The enemy who sows the weeds is the Devil. When it is time to harvest the crop, the weeds should be cut down, collected, and then burned.

What is the message that we are to glean from this reading?  This Gospel is not an inviting passage.  However, this reading may prompt us to pause and reflect on our lives.   Today I invite you to take the five or ten minutes and think about your life.   Ask yourself:  Am I sowing weeds or wheat in my daily life?  What are the areas of my life in which there appears to be more wheat than weeds?  Where in my life are there more weeds than wheat?   Then pause for a moment and ask yourself:  What do I want to do change in my life? 

I seriously doubt that any of us are striving to produce poor harvest.  However, weeds have a way of encroaching into areas of our lives without our noticing them right away.  If we are not mindful and alert to their presence, they may begin to cause us pain, disappointment, or damage to us or to important individuals in our lives in some way.

The world and the individuals in it are a mixture of good and evil. We have within ourselves warring spirits. Am I aware of these spirits within myself?

Let’s pray today to gain knowledge of the true life in Christ and an understanding of the deceits of Satan. I give thanks for the fruits of my faith and the goodness which Jesus works in my life. I offer to him any weaknesses which may block me from flourishing as a child of God, and in the light of his great love for me I ask for forgiveness. And always remember: Where there is life, there is always hope of redemption and of the triumph of good over evil.

Today I invite you to sit and reflect on this image of the “weeds and the wheat.”  Identify the weeds in your life.  How deeply rooted are your weeds?  Do you wish to uproot your weeds and allow good seeds to grow?

After you do this, sit and talk with Jesus! Ask him to help you root out the weeds in your life.  Trust Jesus!  He will not fail you! 

Blessings,

Fr. Luis+