Faith Daily | 26 July 2022

PRAYER of the DAY - APBA p565

O God, the protector of all that trust in you,

without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy:

increase and multiply upon us your mercy,

that, with you as our ruler and guide,

we may so pass through things temporal

that we finally lose not the things eternal.

Grant this, O heavenly Father,

for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen

GOSPEL for the Day: Matthew 13: 36-43

36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, ‘Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.’ 37He answered, ‘The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!

GOSPEL REFLECTION: Leanne Hallas

In most of our readings from Matthew recently we have heard many parables told by Jesus about the ways to follow God and the ways to follow sin.

We heard the parable of the sower who can throw his seed on the path, or onto rocky ground, or in amongst the thorns whilst yet other seeds fell upon good soil that would nourish and make them grow strong.

In today's reading Jesus tells yet another story about what the farmer grows. These parables must have painted clear stories for all the farming groups who came to listen to the words of Jesus.

Today Jesus tells a farming related parable which shows the clear difference between soil and seeds which grow strong, valuable grain as opposed to seeds which grow into weeds.

As Jesus explains: good seed is the Son of Man and that good grain nurtures the children of God. The bad seed is the Devil and it grows the 'weeds', sinners.

We live in a dark world where good and evil are intertwined. Only at the time of Judgement when Jesus returns to us will the weeds be winnowed away from the good grain. Jesus tells us that his angels will come and the sinners will be 'burnt like the weeds'.

We must have faith and not despair in the face of evil. Our Lord has promised that if we trust in God we will ' shine like the sun in the Kingdom of our Father.' Have faith! Trust that God can bring good out of human evil.

And until our Lord comes again we must be his light in the dark wilderness of this dark human world.

Ephesians 5 :8-10

"For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light - for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord."

FINAL PRAYER Helen Steiner Rice

Show me the way,

not to fortune and fame,

Not how to win laurels

or praise for my name ---

But show me the way

to spread The Great Story

That "Thine is the Kingdom

and Power and Glory."