SATURDAY OF THE SIXTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - Mt 13:24-30 - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

"Collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into My barn." (Mt 13:30)

READING OF THE DAY

A reading from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah

JER 3:14-17

Return, rebellious children, says the LORD,

for I am your Master;

I will take you, one from a city, two from a clan,

and bring you to Zion.

I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart,

who will shepherd you wisely and prudently.

When you multiply and become fruitful in the land,

says the LORD,

They will in those days no longer say,

“The ark of the covenant of the LORD!”

They will no longer think of it, or remember it,

or miss it, or make another.

At that time they will call Jerusalem the LORD’s throne;

there all nations will be gathered together

to honor the name of the LORD at Jerusalem,

and they will walk no longer in their hardhearted wickedness.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Matthew

MT 13:18-23

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Hear the parable of the sower.

The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom

without understanding it,

and the Evil One comes and steals away

what was sown in his heart.

The seed sown on rocky ground

is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.

But he has no root and lasts only for a time.

When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,

he immediately falls away.

The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,

but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word

and it bears no fruit.

But the seed sown on rich soil

is the one who hears the word and understands it,

who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

SATURDAY OF THE SIXTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - Mt 13:24-30

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

In today's Gospel, Jesus Christ teaches everyone: The Kingdom of Heaven and Hell are real.

What is the Kingdom of Heaven? The Kingdom of Heaven is the Kingdom of God. It is the most peaceful and happiest place, the place to have eternal life with God, the final destination that people yearn to find.

So does the Kingdom of God have bad things? The answer is that the Kingdom of God is a beautiful, bright, holy, happy place. The Kingdom of God has no evil, no pain, no suffering, where everything is good.

Why is it, that when living on earth, people have not yet reached the Kingdom of Heaven but have to wait until God the Father calls them out of this world, to know whether their soul will enter the Kingdom of Heaven or go to hell? God the Father said, people living in this world must go through a long, spiritual battle with Satan. Satan is the weeds, and will live and be present invisibly among the wheat. The wheats are the images of the good humans being created by God the Father.

People have two choices: one is to follow God, the other is to follow Satan. If you follow God, you will enter the Kingdom of Heaven with Him; According to Satan, God gives freedom, but when He calls us out of this world, each person will have to suffer judgment for their choice.

The Word of God today warns everyone: The Kingdom of Heaven is real, hell is real. When God calls people out of this earth, He will separate the wheat from the weeds: who follows God and who follows Satan. Whoever follows God will enjoy eternal happiness and glory with God the Father. Whoever follows Satan will have to go to hell, a dark place, burned by unquenchable fire, suffering eternally because the soul always longs to see the face of God the Father but cannot see Him. This is the word of God made known to man: whoever has ears to hear will hear.

Thanks be to God. Amen.