Bible Diary

Daily Reading

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
106

FIRST READING

WIS 12:13, 16-19

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.

PSALM

PS 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16

Response: 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.

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.

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.

SECOND READING

ROM 8:26-27

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.

GOSPEL

MT 13:24-30

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."'"

Daily Reflection

Some faithful, in their zeal to serve God, tend to go on a crusade against those they perceive as evil and defiant of God’s commandments.

Jesus explains that this is unwarranted, through a parable in today’s Gospel, when He speaks of how the master advises the over-zealous servants against impulsively uprooting the weeds that grew among the wheat, in the very initial stage itself. The master knew the danger of the servants mistakenly uprooting the wheat with the weeds (as both looked almost alike). He also knew that even though the weeds might inconvenience the wheat temporarily, they would not choke it to death or take over the farm. At harvest, the wheat and the weeds would be easily distinguished by their fruits.

The impulsive desire to condemn and purge society of those who do not follow religious guidelines, reflects immaturity and intolerance; it breeds fanatics who ironically end up being unfaithful servants of our God, who “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous”.