Seek to Understand the Truth
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
For a shorter option of today’s Gospel reading, please visit: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
Matthew 13: 24-43 - 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.”
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“His disciples approached him and said, ‘Explain to us the parable…’”
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
There are many teachings in the Christian faith that are hard to understand. Often this is because they deal with God, Who, being infinite, cannot be fully understood by us. At other times teachings of the Faith aren’t easy to understand because they are so different from what the culture and those around us teach. When we don’t understand some teaching of the faith, we shouldn’t assume that there is a problem with the faith: that it is outdated, or prejudiced, or too strict. The disciples don’t assume the faith must is problematic when they don’t understand. Instead, they ask honest questions to find the true answer. The Church always has answers for why She teaches what She does.
We must be like the disciples. In fact, we ourselves are modern disciples. Believers in Christ don’t first look to non-Christian newspapers, or politicians, or professors, or novels, or the History Channel to tell them what is true about Christ. Instead, they seek Christ in the Scriptures, in prayer, and in the teachings of the Church. Remember especially that Jesus passes on (in a special and direct way, as the Gospel shows today) His teachings to the apostles. These apostles are the first bishops of our Church. They possess Christ’s authority to teach! If we have questions about the faith, we have a responsibility to look to the official teachings of the Church. That’s how true disciples should look for honest answers to their questions. Do we seek understanding like true disciples?
As a family, pray a portion of the Rosary together (very short if children are young) reflecting on the Scripture passage above. (Optional: allow a brief time for discussion or questions from children concerning their thoughts and prayer.)
Reminder for Parents: Pier is just meant to be a jumping off point. The real goal is that you pray & eventually use the fruits of your personal prayer as the content of your family’s prayer. Duc in altum.
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