August 3, 2012 – Matthew 13:54-58 – The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth

Jesus the carpenter's son

Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this? And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honour except in their own country and in their own house.” And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.

August 2, 2012 – Matthew 13:47-52 – Three Parables / Treasures New and Old

Jesus Fisher of Men

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind, when it was full; they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out, separate the evil from the righteous, and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.      

                                                                                               

And he said to them, therefore, every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old. When Jesus had finished this parable, he left that place.

August 1, 2012 – Matthew 13:44-46 – Three Parables

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

 

Father Nino Cavoto said that the gospel invites us to contemplate and dwell on the parable of Jesus about the kingdom of heaven. It is compared to a fine pearl like a treasure that gives joy and great appreciation to the owner. We need to sacrifice everything in order to have something of value that gives us joy. Joy is differentiated from happiness in terms of state of mind and orientation of heart because joy is deeper and more profound. Joy is a constant state not affected by gain or loss; something unaffected by circumstances. Joy is the result of passing treasure and the treasure itself is the kingdom of God.

July 31, 2012 – Matthew 13:37-43 – Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds

He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the son of Man, the field is the world, and the good seeds are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with dire, so will it be at the end of the age. The son of man will send his angels, they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the king of their Father’s. Let anyone with ears listen.

Father Glenn McDonald spoke about the forgotten spirituality of the sacred heart of Jesus, an image of His heart burning with fire and entwined with thorns. The sacred heart flows from the experience of pining with unrequited love just like unwanted love for children, those facing odds with parents, and families that are disenfranchised of rights or deprived of privileges. The sacred heart is about the experience when you love someone and felt unanswered and painful. The sacred heart is the point of contact to speak to young people on how to love and deal with experiences with unanswered love. Let us pray to the Sacred Heart of Jesus to grant us with the gift of unfailing love especially those who are disconnected with their families and loved ones.

July 28, 2012 – Matthew 13:24-30 – The Parable of Weeds among the Wheat

"He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field, but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among them and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well.” …..But he replied, No: for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time, I will tell the reapers, collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn."

Father Patrick Fitzpatrick mentioned that “mass-going” and “right-living” must go hand in hand. The message of the parable in the gospel is “Do not uproot the weeds among the wheat and permit them to grow together.” We are invited to contemplate whether we should excommunicate unwanted persons in the society, expel bad students from school or get rid of others. Can we learn from these people or find a place for them? Let us grow together, take and sort them out at harvest time and let live for now.

July 27, 2012 – Matthew 13:18-23 – The Parable of the Sower Explained

"Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart: this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises because of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the words and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty and in another thirty."

Father Nino Cavoto shared his message on the gospel’s theme about the parable of the sower, to quote:  “Only hearts who are open to the whispers of God can hear the word of God.” God does not shout but whispers and listens. Jesus retells the parables of the sower who scattered seeds on tilled soil. He compared the solid soil to our hearts needing to be tilled which means our hearts needs to receive the words of God as He utters in whispers. The tilling of the heart pertains to suffering, pain, and disappointments. It is only the voice of God that gives us comfort when our hearts are being tilled. We can compare our hearts to the soil where we lived on earth - the Ontario clay – made up of solid art clay, hard in dry hot weather, difficult to till so it needs a sharp spade so seeds can penetrate. We should ask ourselves what kind of soil we are – rough patch or stone patch. Tilling is important by opening our hearts to the word of God that gives us new life. Let us say this prayer: “O Lord, open our hearts to hear your whispers.”

July 26, 2012 – Matthew 13:16-17 – The Purpose of the Parables

"But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what your hear, but did not hear it."

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Joachim and St. Anne who are parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Father Dan Donovan cited the book “Praying the Mass” which suggests an approach to the celebration of a period of sustained prayers. It is written that prayers involve two aspects: first, the presence of God, and second, an experience of dialogue. In praying, there is dialogue because we speak to God and He speaks to us. Just like the mass, prayer begins with a sign of the cross to become aware of the presence of God. The first form of the prayer is the penitential rite which is an act of humility. We always come before God with empty hands. Another form of prayer is it involves an act of faith, trust, and reverence to almighty God. The message of the book is to live according to Gods’ will and to pray always.  

July 25, 2012 – Matthew 20-20-28 – Treasure in clay jars

St. James the Apostle

"But we have this treasure in clay jars so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us; but life in you."

Today, we celebrate the Feast of St. James the apostle who was the first martyred apostle. Father Michael Traher stressed that the Lord works best in our weakness and frailties. Like St. James, let us endure our sufferings for God's glory.