The Word God Spells

Mathew 13: 47-53
Jer 18: 1-6 / Ps 146: 1-6

The kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet that is cast in the sea and brings in a haul of all kinds of fish.
(Matthew 13:47)

Help us not to fear, Lord Jesus
If we must lead a life of pain,
In working to spread Your Good News
We have hope of eternal gain.

Jesus said to the people: ‘Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet that is cast in the sea and brings in a haul of all kinds of fish. When it is full, the fishermen bring it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in baskets and throw away those that are no use. This is how it will be at the end of time: the angels will appear and separate the wicked from the upright, to throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. ‘Have you understood all these?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Well then, every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of Heaven is like a householder who brings out from his storeroom new things as well as old.’ When Jesus had finished these parables he left the district. (Matthew 13:47-53)

Reflection

Today’s Gospel passage is found only in the Gospel of Matthew. It has no parallel in any of the other three Gospels. It relates the last parable lesson that our Lord taught in this chapter 13 of St. Matthew’s account, which started with the Parable of the Sower. It was as if Jesus started His ‘lecture’ with planting, and ended it with a ‘harvesting’: “This is how it will be at the end of the age,” like a dragnet thrown into the sea, when the angels come to separate the evil from the righteous, and cast the wicked into the fiery furnace.

Jesus used this illustration of a fishing equipment for the benefit of His listeners, most of whom were probably fishermen living along the coast of the Lake of Galilee. A dragnet is similar to what trawl fishermen use, which is conical in shape, and dragged by a boat. It catches all kinds of fish along its path, including flotsam, seaweeds, etc. God’s kingdom, represented by the Church is like a dragnet, open to all regardless of persuasion or moral condition. It does not discriminate. It gives everyone a chance to believe, repent and be converted.

Today we commemorate the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556), the founder and first Superior General of the Society of Jesus. Without doubt this religious order known as the Jesuits ranks as one of the greatest “dragnets” of the Church since the 16th century, being one of the first to serve in the foreign missions. The pioneering work of Jesuits like St. Francis Xavier in the Far East inspired many others to evangelize Christian frontiers like India, China, Ethiopia, the Congo, South America, and Canada. By the time of St. Ignatius’ death on July 31, 1556, the Jesuits had already numbered more than 1,000 members in nine European provinces aside from those working in the foreign missions. St. Ignatius’ youthful dreams consisted of becoming a high-ranking soldier in the service of the King of Spain. Instead, he became a soldier of Christ the King when, as a result of a broken leg in the battle of Pamplona, he turned to prayer and meditation while he was recuperating. He read books on the life of Jesus and the saints which inspired him to lead a life of labor and sacrifice, in imitation of the works of St. Francis of Assisi and other great monastic saints. His “dragnet” in his life’s mission started small, bringing in an initial following of six former schoolmates in the College de Montague of the University of Paris, where he attained his academic credentials. After Pope Paul III confirmed the Jesuit order in September 27, 1540 through a papal bull, Ignatius sent his companions as missionaries around Europe, creating schools and seminaries. A large number of great men like Jose Rizal and Ninoy Aquino were products of the Jesuit ‘dragnet’s institution in the Philippines, the Ateneo University, which, up to the present time, has been forming men and women who dedicate their lives for others. They are all the proud legacy of St. Ignatius de Loyola.

Dear God, today we honor St. Ignatius de Loyola, whose short life on earth continues to bring in millions of souls into Your kingdom through the influence of the Society of Jesus, which he founded. May his example lead us to a life of prayer and meditation, in imitation of his extraordinary life, and be men and women for others in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Matthew 13: 44-46
Jer. 15: 10. 16-21 / Ps 59: 2-3. 4, 10-11, 17, 18

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field. . .
(Matthew 13: 44)

Thank God for this greatest treasure:
The gift of His Son by Whom we’re saved;
It was His love beyond measure
That freed us from what had us enslaved.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13: 44-46)

Reflection

Today’s Gospel passage about the parable of a hidden treasure reminds me of an incident that happened during the martial law days in Surigao del Norte near the Tago river in an irrigation project of the government. The backhoe operator of a private contractor dug up a clay jar full of antique gold trinkets. He immediately covered up his find with soil, and pretended that his backhoe was having some mechanical problem so that he could render overtime work. In the cover of darkness, the employee unearthed his discovery and promptly vanished. It was later discovered that the whole field traversed by the irrigation canal was a treasure trove of pirates who regularly raided Spanish galleon ships during colonial times, using Tago river as their hiding place. The military swiftly cordoned the whole area and sequestered the treasure trove. That backhoe operator could have gotten more than one jar of gold if he had only acted with more prudence.

Most of us lose our good judgment when sudden fortune comes upon us. In many cases the ‘treasure’ even turns out to be a misfortune or disaster in disguise. A taxi driver who won a fortune in the lottery lost his life when after a week of heavy partying, gunmen broke into his house to rob him. A couple who inadvertently received an overseas remittance of one million dollars due to computer error became instant millionaires; but they also became fugitives of the law for felony and tax evasion. Their marriage broke up, and they ended up behind bars. The bank was willing to settle for half of the amount, but their sudden wealth had displaced their sense of values, and made them become too greedy and materialistic.

What is the most priceless thing that we have ever discovered? It is our faith. And yet it never cost us anything. But it cost God everything — His very own beloved Son. Although God gives it freely, not everyone finds it, but only the deserving. It is a hidden treasure; hidden from those who seek treasures that can be “eaten by moth, woodworm, or rust, and thieves can break in and steal.” (Mt.6:19) But if, like Mary, Martha’s younger sister, “we choose the better portion, then it will not be taken away from us.” (Lk.10:42)

The material pleasures of this world are so fleeting that they can’t be worth spending so much time and effort for. In the end, gold’s evil luster will only blind us, preventing us from seeing life’s real treasure. Mankind’s history is replete with powerful and wealthy men whose lives amounted to nothing but infamy and shame because they chose to accumulate the world’s treasures. Like the rich fool whose major concern was how to store his bountiful harvest, God suddenly called him to give an account of his life, and the things he had accumulated, what good did they serve him then? “Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.” (Lk.12:16-21) God’s Word is the real treasure because it is eternal. And only those who ask for it, seek it, and knock on God’s door for it will be rewarded.

Lord, Your kingdom is not something out there that we have to find, but is already a reality in our lives. Your beloved Son Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is among you.” (Lk.17:21) Since the time we asked Him to live in our hearts, we believe Your kingdom is already within us. Amen.

Luke 10: 38-42
Jer. 14: 17-22 / Ps 79: 8, 9, 11 & 13

You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her.
(Luke 10:42)

In all the things we say and do
Lead us to ‘choose the better part’,
Grant us Lord the grace to serve You
With Martha’s hands and Mary’s heart.

As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10: 38-42)

Reflection

For sure, Jesus appreciated the efforts of Martha in making their stay as comfortable and satisfying as possible. It was only when Martha started to complain to Him that He questioned the necessity of her labors, and praised the decision of Mary instead. Martha was so distracted and stressed by mundane matters that she had become disrespectful and rude, telling her honored guest, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” For sure, Jesus cared about her little troubles. But He cared more about the “better part”, which is the more important lessons that He had to impart to all who cared to listen, including Mary.

What is the “better part” that our Lord is telling the Marthas among us in today’s Gospel passage? It is what most of us have been neglecting in our obsessively driven culture of working hard to be ahead in our chosen business or profession, or the common excuse of insuring our children’s future. We forget that “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Mat.4:4) The “better part” is simply the Word of God. If Martha’s main concern was to provide nourishment for Jesus and His apostles, her sister Mary’s sole concern was to be nourished by Jesus’ teaching, which was more important than anything else in the world. As Jesus Himself said, “Do not worry and say, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ Only the pagans worry about these things. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Mt.6:31-33).

Quite often, we get so worked up with our responsibilities as parents, providers, team leaders, husbands (or wives), civic or civil servants, (the list goes on), that we forget to ‘re-charge our batteries’ by setting aside a time for contemplation with God and His Word. Eventually, we experience ‘burn-out’ and wonder why our pursuits in life no longer seem to be as meaningful as before. Every once in a while, we need to “sit at the feet of Jesus”, and allow His words in Scriptures to invigorate our soul. When we are “worried and upset about many things”, the soothing words of our Lord can lift our burdens (Mt.11:28-30), and lead us to green pastures (Ps. 23). It is our intimate relationship with Jesus that can put all our activities into proper perspective.

Lord, may we be like Martha, serving You faithfully through others in need; but may we be more like Mary, meditating on Your Word to grow deeper spiritually. Amen.

Matthew 13: 31-35
Jer 13: 1-11 / Deut 32: 18-21

It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full grown it is the largest of shrubs.
(Matthew 13:32)

To make the bread of life expand,
Mix a pinch of love as yeast, and knead,
Christ’s parables we’ll understand
With faith as small as a mustard seed.

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.” He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.” Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” (Matthew 13: 31-35)

Reflection

Our Lord was not speaking in parables to confuse His listeners, or to hide the true meaning of His teachings. He was in fact being faithful to Scriptures, fulfilling what was prophesied in Psalms 78:2- “revealing old mysteries which our ancestors have told us.” He also clothed His messages in parables in order to make them relevant to the contemporary setting, but at the same time they are meant to be allegorical, to highlight the truth for all generations to understand throughout human history.

His kingdom on earth for instance, (which is our Church), started out like a tiny mustard seed (just a few apostles), but is now like a great tree, home for many birds in its branches — various Christian denominations, all children of the One True God. Our Church has also been like a yeast, mixed in with so much flour — the millions of unbelievers among us, who would never have risen above their apathy or faithless state, had they not been transformed by the Gospel values of Jesus Christ.

When we first joined the renewal, our faith was only a small mustard seed; but through the constant reading of the Word of God, this faith has grown as big as a tree. We have also become the yeast in the Kingdom of God. Like “the salt of the earth” that permeates the bland, and “the light on the lampstand that dispels the darkness,” God’s yeast will make His Church expand to all the corners of the earth. It is true that out of the many who are called, only a few are chosen, but in God’s kingdom, like a pint of salt or a single candle, a lump of yeast or a mustard seed, only a little is required to make a great difference.

Yesterday, we celebrated Mission Sunday. Our diocesan priests are few and far between, ministering one to 20,000. And yet a few of them still go periodically on mission to such places like Papua New Guinea or parts of Africa to spread the Catholic faith and the Good News of Jesus to the far corners of the globe. According to Msgr. Afable of the Diocese of Davao del Sur, who was once a missionary himself, hundreds of thousands of these modern pagans have been converted, transformed by such a “small measure of yeast”.

Like the tiny host that we receive when You come to us, Lord Jesus, so little is required to make the whole body renewed in Your Spirit. Thank You, Master for Your parables. Make us worthy to be the yeast of Your kingdom. Amen.

Matthew 13: 24-30
Jer. 7: 1-11/ Ps 84: 3-6, 8, 11

. . . while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest.
(Matthew 13: 29-30)

In God have faith and do not fear
If weeds of hate among us grow,
Not long to wait, His Judgment’s near
Our God is great, His love will show.

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ He replied, ‘An enemy did this.’

The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ” (Matthew 13: 24-30)

Reflection

Only the Gospel of Matthew contains this parable of the weeds sown among the wheat. It contains both similarities and differences with the other parable preceding it. Like the Parable of the Sower, it talks about the kingdom of God here on earth, about the analogies of sower, seeds and earth, and about the presence of evil that thwarts the plans of God. But while the first parable illustrates the different kinds of soil, the second relates two different kinds of seeds, the bad and the good. Where evil snatches and chokes the good seeds in the first parable, it sows its own bad seeds among the good ones in the second parable.

Like the Parable of the Sower, this Parable of the Weeds Among the Wheat is just as rich with lessons that our Lord is teaching His followers, both then and now. First of all, Jesus is telling us in this parable that the kingdom of God here on earth is not (yet) perfect. I think by “kingdom” our Lord is not referring to the world, but more likely to His Church. The devil has planted bad seeds in our community and in our Church so that God’s kingdom may not prosper here on earth. Even from the very start, a bad seed had already been sown among the apostles of Jesus. Judas was a sign that the Church built by Christ on earth would not be perfect, but would undergo so much trials and persecutions, both outside and within. In its early growth, we read about other bad seeds, like Ananias and Sapphira, who were cut off from the community for trying to deceive the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-10), and Simon the magician, who offered money to Peter for the Spirit’s power (Acts 8:9,18-24).

The kingdom of God (the Church) here on earth continues to grow by leaps and bounds, but it does not make a claim to be pure and perfect. In fact, many Catholics have left the faith because of its imperfections. They cite the many cases of homosexual priests and bishops, and other pastors of the church accused of adultery or secret marriages. But this is precisely what our Lord’s parable was prophesying about – the devil would continue to sow bad seeds (called tares) in the kingdom. Tares look almost like wheat, but they are actually weeds. Jesus tells us not to worry about them, as if saying, “Let them stay. Who knows, they might be converted. If not, then in the end they will receive their just desserts.” Let us not be too hasty about weeding them out, for in the process we may offend others with weaker faith who would not understand. Jesus tells us to be patient; Judgment will come in His time.

Thank You, Lord for making us see that there will always be evil in the world just as there will always be defects in our Church. Help us to be steadfast in our faith, never to be discouraged by imperfections, but to put our trust and hope in Your perfect plan. Amen.

Matthew 20: 20-28
2 Cor 4: 7-15 / Ps 126: 1-6

“Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” They answered, “We can.” Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup . . .”
(Matthew 20: 22-23)

Lord, take away all my ambition,
Desire for prominence, my pride. . .
If serving You be my commission,
I leave it all for You to decide.

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. “What is it you want?” He asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”

“We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20: 20-28)

Reflection

It was obvious that the sons of Zebedee put up their mother to make this personal request from Jesus to seat them at His right and at His left in His kingdom. Earlier, they had heard the Lord declare, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on 12 thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Mt.19:28). Being the first cousins of the Lord, (Mrs. Zebedee was the sister of the Blessed Mother), they must have felt that they had the right of first priority. And indeed, St. James, whose feast we commemorate today, was given the first priority of martyrdom among the twelve apostles.

It is interesting to note that the ambition of the brothers James and John provided the opening for Jesus to prophesy their destiny. Jesus asked them: “Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” They answered, “We can.” And Jesus told them, “My cup you will indeed drink.,,” (Mt. 20: 22-23). The brothers did taste the cup of Jesus’ suffering, albeit in different circumstances. According to St. Luke’s account, St. James was the first apostle to die of martyrdom in the hands of King Herod Agrippa, who had him arrested and beheaded (Acts 12:2). On the other hand (no pun intended), St. John’s cup of agony took a much longer period to consume. For the next eighty years or so, according to Church history, he traveled across pagan territories, and founded churches in Smyrna, Pergamos, Philadelphia, Sardis, Laodicia and Thyatira. He was imprisoned in Ephesus and sent to Rome, where he was cast into a cauldron of boiling oil, but miraculously survived without any injuries. In the end he was exiled by Emperor Domitian to the Isle of Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelation. Unlike his brother James who was the first martyr, this apostle that Jesus loved the most was the only one among the twelve who did not suffer a violent death. He died in Ephesus at the age of ninety-five years, the last of the apostles.

Ambition is not wrong, provided it is focused in the right direction. If we must aspire for the highest let us follow the lead of the saints, like St. James and St. John, who finally realized that the greatest in God’s kingdom are those who make themselves the last and the least here on earth. Those who give their most to the least are the greatest in God’s eyes.

Grant us the grace, Lord God, to see that the only way to prominence in Your sight is to give of ourselves in humble service. May this be our sole ambition in this short life that we live to be assured of an eternal place in Your kingdom. Amen.