Saturday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 2

Daily Mass Readings for Saturday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle 2

• First Reading – Jeremiah 7:1-11: “Are you to steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal, go after strange gods that you know not, and yet come to stand before me in this house which bears my name?”
• Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 84: “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!”
• Gospel – Matthew 13:24-30: “No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest.”

Reflection

In today’s gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the wheat and weeds. Sometimes I can’t see the evil in my life right away. What seems good at first can grow into something sinful. The Lord allows the good and bad to takes its course in this world.

I need to see how my actions blossom. If there is something in my life which is not producing good fruit or is leading me to sin, then I need to recognize it as a weed. When I recognize these sinful tendencies, I must turn to the Lord to help me rid myself of the weeds.

Prayer

Lord, I know I have both weeds and wheat growing in my heart. Help me recognize what is not good within me. Show me how to use it for your purpose instead. And then, when the time is right, pull these weeds from within me. Amen.

Word On Fire: The Parable of the Wheat and Weeds

From Bishop Robert Barron. God sows his good seed, his word, his love and compassion, but his project is met with opposition. And the evil is such that it insinuates itself right into the very fabric of the good.

USCCB Reflection: The Problem with Weeds

A skilled gardener can tell the difference between a weed and a good plant before it becomes a problem. But in this case, the wheat and the weeds look almost identical.