Saturday – 16th Week of Ordinary Time B

Published on 26 July 2024 at 07:02

Today, we hear a powerful message from the Prophet Jeremiah and his and our Lord, Jesus, in the Gospel. Both readings speak to us about the importance of living a life of authenticity through embracing God’s word. Jeremiah reminds us that we cannot simply claim to worship God while persisting in sin. When we do this, we deceive others and ourselves. As Jesus would say, we become like tombs, beautiful on the outside, but full of corruption on the inside.

The Lord was lamenting through Jeremiah, that the Israelites rallied with the reminder; “this is the temple of the LORD!” … while they nevertheless failed to reform their ways, did not deal justly with their neighbour, they oppressed the resident alien, the orphan and the widow, they shed innocent blood, followed strange gods to their own harm, so that what should have been a beautiful reminder (“this is the temple of the LORD!”) merely became deceitful and empty words. The Lord, hoping to illicit a repentance, asks, “Has this house which bears my name become in your eyes a den of thieves?” We know that our Lord uses the very same expression when cleansing the temple: “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves” Matthew 21:13.

This is a reminder to all of us, however. We go to the temple, the house of the Lord often to encounter our Eternal Father there. This is a not only a good thing, but a grace and a blessing from Almighty God as there we receive gifts of everlasting life.

The question is this: In what state of soul are we entering our churches for Holy Mass? We too must reform our ways and deeds, treating others with kindness, justice, and compassion. Far be it from us that we should ever manipulate the vulnerable, shed innocent blood or sympathize with those who do or wish to make it legal to do so, or follow false gods and crave wealth instead of a healthy relationship with Him. The love of money is the root of all evil. If we do not change our ways when we even know we have to, we risk losing God's presence in our lives.

Now, some of us wish to become saints, and some couldn’t care less.

Jesus tells us a parable about a farmer who sowed good seed in his field, only to have an enemy sow weeds among the wheat. The farmer's slaves ask if they should pull up the weeds, but the farmer advises them to let them grow alongside the wheat until harvest time. Only then will they be separated and gathered according to their kind.

In this parable, Jesus is teaching us about the Kingdom of Heaven. Just as the farmer allows both good and evil to grow together until harvest time, so too do we live in a world where good and evil coexist. But just as the farmer will separate the wheat from the weeds at harvest time, so too will God separate the righteous from the unrighteous at the end of time. If we could only envision this day more clearly we would surely choose the better path. Hence the importance of prayer and meditation, because it will give us greater clarity as to what is at stake in this battle we fight daily.

What is one of the greatest gifts and weapons the Lord has given to us in our battle? The answer lies in our relationship with Mary, our beloved Mother. Today is dedicated to her honor, and we would do well to turn to her intercession. Mary lived a life of devotion to God, trusting in His will and accepting His plan for her life. She showed us that even in the midst of darkness and confusion, we can find peace and guidance by turning to God.

May we, like Mary, seek God's guidance and wisdom in our daily lives. May we be faithful to God's plan for us, even when it seems difficult or uncertain.

As we reflect on these readings, let us remember that God is always with us, guiding us on our journey towards eternal life. May we trust in His goodness and providence and protection, just as Mary did, and may we always be sure of her motherly intercession, for it is her joy to try to help each and every one of us, her children. Amen.


Add comment

Comments

There are no comments yet.