God cleans his field

Welcome to my blog and peace be with you!

You will find here, daily readings from the Scriptures with a prayerful reflexion. Reading slowly and prayerfully the Word of God is the way to get into contact with Him. The reflection may help you turn to God, who has revealed himself in his Son, Jesus, himself God.

I follow the sequential readings given us by the Catholic Church for each day.

The Word of God is like the rain. As the rain bring fruitfulness to the earth, may his Word bear abundant fruit in your life.

I will be happy to receive your comments and also any question you may have about the Scriptures or the Catholic Faith.

Tuesday 28 July 2020

God cleans his field

Cf. Ps 67: 6-7, 36

God is in his holy place,

God who unites those who dwell in his house;

he himself gives might and strength to his people.

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Prayer

Father in heaven, you protect all those who put their hope in you.

Without you we are nothing. Pour down your mercy upon us,

so that we may use the good things of this world

in accordance with your will,

while keeping our minds on the eternal treasures

that await us.

We make our prayer through your Son,

Christ Jesus our Lord.

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First reading

Jeremiah 14:17-22

We confess our wickedness; you, God, are our hope

The Lord said to me:

Say this word to the people:

‘Tears flood my eyes

night and day, unceasingly,

since a crushing blow falls on the daughter of my people,

a most grievous injury.

If I go into the countryside,

there lie men killed by the sword;

if I go into the city,

I see people sick with hunger;

even prophets and priests

plough the land: they are at their wit’s end.’

‘Have you rejected Judah altogether?

Does your very soul revolt at Zion?

Why have you struck us down without hope of cure?

We were hoping for peace – no good came of it!

For the moment of cure – nothing but terror!

the Lord, we do confess our wickedness

and our fathers’ guilt:

we have indeed sinned against you.

For your name’s sake do not reject us,

do not dishonour the throne of your glory.

Remember us; do not break your covenant with us.

Can any of the pagan Nothings make it rain?

Can the heavens produce showers?

No, it is you, the Lord.

O our God, you are our hope,

since it is you who do all this.’

THE WORD OF THE LORD

Prayerful reflection

With the merciless marauding army of Babylon destroying the land of Judah, and surrounding and then destroying Jerusalem, with slaughter and immense bloodshed, it must have looked to the prophet as if God had finally abandoned them.  This is the context of the prayer he makes in today’s reading. However, despite everything he still has hope that God will show mercy on them: ‘O our God, you are our hope’. God had in no way abandoned them. He is still working out his plan of salvation. They are still his chosen people. He is purifying them from their sinfulness. He is preparing the way for the Messiah.

The Church of the New Testament is the new People of God. They are his people and God continues to work out his plan despite everything that looks to the contrary. It may look as if the Church is losing on every front, but the Church is still the prize possession of God. He will not abandon it. Jesus is not only Emmanuel in name, but also in fact: ‘God with us.’

Likewise, he will not abandon the individual members who make up his Church. Purify us, he will and it is painful at the time. Abandon us, he will not. His love is an everlasting and faithful love.

Do you rest assured in his loving presence to you?

  

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Psalm (A prayer of and for the Church, the new people of God)

Psalm 79:8-9,11,13

Rescue us, O Lord, for the glory of your name.

Do not hold the guilt of our fathers against us.

Let your compassion hasten to meet us;

we are left in the depths of distress.

Rescue us, O Lord, for the glory of your name.

O God our saviour, come to our help.

Come for the sake of the glory of your name.

O Lord our God, forgive us our sins;

rescue us for the sake of your name.

Rescue us, O Lord, for the glory of your name.

Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;

let your strong arm reprieve those condemned to die.

But we, your people, the flock of your pasture,

will give you thanks for ever and ever.

We will tell your praise from age to age.

Rescue us, O Lord, for the glory of your name.

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Alleluia, alleluia!

The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower;

whoever finds this seed will remain for ever.

Alleluia!

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Gospel

Matthew 13:36-43

As the darnel is gathered up and burnt, so it will be at the end of time

Leaving the crowds, Jesus went to the house; and his disciples came to him and said, ‘Explain the parable about the darnel in the field to us.’ He said in reply, ‘The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed is the subjects of the kingdom; the darnel, the subjects of the evil one; the enemy who sowed them, the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels. Well then, just as the darnel is gathered up and burnt in the fire, so it will be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that provoke offences and all who do evil, and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Then the virtuous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Listen, anyone who has ears!’ THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD

Prayerful reflection

We heard this parable and its explanation ten days ago on the 16^th Sunday of Ordinary Time. The world is the field and it is covered with wheat and darnel all mixed together. Who are the wheat and who are the darnel? Are we not all both wheat and darnel? In the heart of everyone grows the wheat and also the darnel. By harvest time, we need to be pure wheat. The divide between good and evil runs through the heart of each person. There are not just black and white – saints and sinners. There are things in each of us of which we are ashamed and wish we could be rid of. Let us make the cleansing of our heart, the work of our life. The paradox is, that it is not our work, but the work of the master of the harvest, the Holy Spirit. He alone can transform what is evil in us, into good. Through constant prayer, we are to surrender to the Spirit and allow him to lead us.

There is a fearful side too. If we do not have the darnel cleared by harvest time, we will also have to undergo the purifying fire.

Mt 5: 7-8

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.

Prayer

Look with favour on our prayer, Lord,

and in your saving love

let your light penetrate the hidden places of our hearts.

May no sordid desires darken our minds,

renewed and enlightened as we are by your heavenly grace.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.