17TH THURSDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Matthew 13:47-53) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace.” (Mt 13:49-50)

FIRST READING - Ex 40:16-21,34-38

"The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle"

A reading from the book of Exodus

¹⁶ Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him.

¹⁷ So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. ¹⁸ When Moses set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames, inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. ¹⁹ Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, as the Lord commanded him.

²⁰ He took the tablets of the covenant law and placed them in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it. ²¹ Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the covenant law, as the Lord commanded him.

³⁴ Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ³⁵ Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

³⁶ In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; ³⁷ but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. ³⁸ So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Mt 13:47-53

"They collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away."

✠From the Gospel according to Matthew

⁴⁷ “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸ When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. ⁴⁹ This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous ⁵⁰ and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

⁵¹ “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.

“Yes,” they replied.

⁵² He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

A Prophet Without Honor

⁵³ When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there.

17TH THURSDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Matthew 13:47-53)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

In today’s Word of God, Jesus continues to teach the people about the Kingdom of Heaven through the Parable of the Net. The Kingdom of Heaven is a place filled with love, always open to welcoming all His children to share in the joy of being with their beloved Father.

Jesus told the parable of the Kingdom of Heaven as being like a net thrown into the sea that catches all kinds of fish, both good and bad. Through this, God wants to convey that He loves everyone and does not discriminate between good people and bad people.

He reveals to people the immense love of God the Father, so that they may come to repentance, abandon sin, and return to the God of Love. In this world, no one possesses a love as great as His. However, people today remain indifferent to God's love, still preoccupied with the pursuit of worldly fame and fortune rather than seeking the Kingdom of Heaven.

Through today's Gospel, He desires to emphasize to all that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a net cast down to encompass all of humanity. He will gather both the good fish and the bad. That is to say, when the day comes that He calls each person out of this world: the good fish—those who live righteously—He will allow them to enter and enjoy the happiness of God; the bad fish—those who do not live according to His teachings—He will cast them out of His Kingdom.

While living on earth, Jesus called on everyone to live righteously in order to please Him, so that when God calls them out of this world, they may enjoy eternal happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven. God the Father does not desire to lose any of His children, nor does He wish for anyone to be excluded from His Kingdom. The Word of God invites all people to look up to the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross. By contemplating that love, they are called to repent of their sins and return to God. In doing so, He will forgive them and grant them eternal happiness in His Kingdom.

Thanks be to God. Amen.