MASS READINGS AND MEDITATION | JULY 19, 2020

There is no god besides you who have the care of all,
that you need show you have not unjustly condemned.
For your might is the source of justice;
your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all.
For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved;
and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity.
But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency,
and with much lenience you govern us;
for power, whenever you will, attends you.
And you taught your people, by these deeds,
that those who are just must be kind;
and you gave your children good ground for hope
that you would permit repentance for their sins.

R. (5a) Lord, you are good and forgiving.
You, O LORD, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Lord, you are good and forgiving.
All the nations you have made shall come
and worship you, O LORD,
and glorify your name.
For you are great, and you do wondrous deeds;
you alone are God.
R. Lord, you are good and forgiving.
You, O LORD, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in kindness and fidelity.
Turn toward me, and have pity on me;
give your strength to your servant.
R. Lord, you are good and forgiving.

Brothers and sisters:
The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.
And the one who searches hearts
knows what is the intention of the Spirit,
because he intercedes for the holy ones
according to God’s will.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying:
“The kingdom of heaven may be likened
to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep his enemy came
and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.
When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.
The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where have the weeds come from?’
He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’
His slaves said to him,
‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds
you might uproot the wheat along with them.
Let them grow together until harvest;
then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
“First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

He proposed another parable to them.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.
It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.
It becomes a large bush,
and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”

He spoke to them another parable.
“The kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch was leavened.”

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.
He spoke to them only in parables,
to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation
of the world.

Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house.
His disciples approached him and said,
“Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,
the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom.
The weeds are the children of the evil one,
and the enemy who sows them is the devil.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,
so will it be at the end of the age.
The Son of Man will send his angels,
and they will collect out of his kingdom
all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.
They will throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun
in the kingdom of their Father.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church

47 The Church teaches that the one true God, our Creator and Lord, can be known with certainty from his works, by the natural light of human reason (cf. Vatican Council I, can. 2 # 1: DS 3026)

“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)

SUNDAY, JULY 19^TH   Mt. 13: 24-43   “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches’”

FIRST REFLECTION…

• The promise of life is in a seed, but the seed must first be buried in the ground in order for it to grow. And as it grows, the soil must be watered, weeded, and given nutrients before it can become a mustard tree, where the birds of the sky can come and dwell in its branches.
• Think of yourself as that seed, conceived in the mind and heart of the Father before He called you into being. He loved the idea of you so much that He created you, breathing life into you at the moment of your conception!
• He loved you so much that He sent His only begotten Son to become man, suffer and die on the cross that you might have eternal life! For from His pierced side flowed blood and water – the waters of Baptism and Confession, and His Body and Blood in the most holy Eucharist!
• He loved you so much that He left you a family to teach, guide, and protect you – His one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church with this promise: “And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Mt. 16-18)
  
• However, our new life in Christ and Eternal life are bought at a price – Christ dying on the cross and our dying to self every day of our life!

Dying to Self…  

• When I am forgotten or neglected and I don’t hurt with the insult, rather my heart is happy because I remember that Jesus bore insults for my sake, and even now He is looking at me with love – that is dying to self.
• When my advice is disregarded and my opinions ridiculed, and I refuse to let anger rise in my heart, choosing instead patience and silence, because I know Jesus was crowned with thorns as mock King and “he opened not his mouth” (Is. 53:7) for my sake, and even now He looking at me with love – that is dying to self.
• When I patiently endure life’s disorder, disruptions, disappointments, and contradictions, as Jesus endured them for my sake, and even now He is looking at me with love – that is dying to self.
• When I avoid talking about myself or my good works in conversation, but prefer to appreciate and encourage others’ good efforts and accomplishments, as Jesus pointed to the works of His heavenly Father for my sake, and even now He is looking at me with love – that is dying to self.
• When I see others prosper and I can heartily rejoice with them without jealousy or envy, though my needs may be greater, because I know Jesus had no place to lay His head for my sake, though the foxes had dens and the birds of the air had nests, and even now He is looking at me with love – that is dying to self.
• When I am content with whatever food, clothing, shelter, climate, and society that I have, because I know that Jesus ate with sinners and tax collectors for my sake, and even now He is looking at me with love – that is dying to self.
• When I can take corrections, humbly submitting inwardly as well as outwardly, without rebellion or resentment rising up in my heart, because I know Jesus suffered and died on the cross for my sake, and even now He is looking at me with love – that is dying to self.
• How is this possible you ask? We will die to self when we allow ourselves to be consumed by the Fire of His Love!

(Adapted from a writing by an unknown author)

SECOND REFLECTION…

The Mystery of a Seed…  Reflection by Ann Voskamp

“Joshua, can you bring another spade?” I call to him across the lane, coming out of the barn, coming from feeding all the nursing sows. We’re breaking the earth open and it’s making something in me heal.

And I tear open the seed packets of zucchini, and is it this too, witnessing again this Genesis giving? That again He gives the first gift He ever gave to humanity? That again He gives the impossible gift and asks for wild faith?

The seeds, they fall into my hand, small jewels. I am holding seeds, first gift He ever bestowed upon His people. Maybe this is why the bare feet? But to look at seeds and believe He will feed us? When what He gives doesn’t look like near enough? When it looks like less than a handful instead of a plateful, a year full, a life full. When it looks inedible. These seeds, they are food? It looks like a bit of a joke. To hand someone seeds for his swelling, panging starvation, and ask him to believe in a feast – is this what everyday faith is?

Behold! For those who have learned to see – He gives, He gifts. He gifts with seeds as small as moments, grace upon grace; and the unlikely here and now, it shall sustain you, feed you. Do not disdain the small. The promise of feast is within the moments. Our enough is always in the now, because He never leaves us….

Lord, what would happen today if I saw all the not-enough, too-little in my life to be but a seed? All the hardly-things could be holy-things – small somethings you are growing into more glory for you. Cause me to believe again: All feasts began as seeds.

End of Reflection (Ann Voskamp is a wife, mother of seven, spiritual writer and author.)

• He gifts each of us in our individual lives with seeds “as small as moments, grace upon grace; and the unlikely here and now” to sustain us and feed us. Take time to reflect on your life to see how He has watered and nurtured the seeds of your life to grow your heart into a large bush where others may dwell secure and at rest… and give thanks!
• Next consider that each one of us in the totality of our lives is but a seed of the Kingdom of God – and He is watering and nurturing our hearts to share in the Divine Life and Love of the Blessed Trinity for all eternity!
• Did you ever wonder what you will become in the fullness of time in the Kingdom of God? I don’t think we have any idea of the glory of God that will shine through the unique of image of God He created each of us to be! As unique as each thumbprint or snowflake! No two the same! And each one but a reflection of the Glory of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit! And the Perfection of Our Blessed Mother Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth!