predication.net

Sorting and picking is a familiar thing for all of us. In the material realm, we sort things, we get rid of the bad or worse things, we put them away, we destroy them… and, conversely, we keep the good. We also encounter picking and choosing according to certain criteria in various auditions and admissions. And we know that the criteria can be differently thought out; there can be unfairness, dishonesty, favoritism, and so on…
In the area of faith, too, there is talk of sorting.

In the Gospel, we are told the parable of the fisherman’s net, which catches different kinds of fish. When it is complete, they haul it ashore, sit down, pick the good fish into containers, and throw the bad ones out.

The Lord Jesus also gives a proper interpretation to the parable: “So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and shall separate the wicked from the righteous, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mt. 13:49).
The net parable follows the warning already given in the parable of the tares among the wheat that evil Christians will not escape God’s punishment. We see that the Lord Jesus speaks plainly, and yet, despite this, many have failed to do the will of God as it was explained to them. Therefore, they will be cast out of the net, that is, out of the Church, in the end. This parable was close to the hearers of the Lord Jesus, for many were fishermen. Fishing was their daily occupation. These fishermen convinced themselves that they would often get different kinds of fish in their nets. And to such a fisherman’s net, cast into the sea, the Lord Jesus compares the kingdom of God.

After the fishermen’s net was drawn in, the fish sorting followed. The Lord Jesus has one great truth to declare; so shall it be at the world’s end. There God will separate the good from the bad because God is a righteous Judge who rewards the good and punishes the bad.
Jesus also tells this parable to the apostles to emphasize the role of the apostle and their successors. The mission of an apostle is likened to the work of a fisherman. Fishing symbolizes the job done to save people. Just as both bad and good fish get caught in the net, so the apostles and their successors embrace all with Christ’s teaching. Thus, both the good and the unworthy are caught in the net of the kingdom of heaven. But the end will come. A lot of the righteous are not mentioned here. But it is clear from the parable. Many wicked are the same as the tares among the wheat (cf. Mt. 13:24-30). The goal of the parable teaches us that we are to accept all who claim Christ. Our mission is not to judge but to witness. Only a final judgment, similar to the parable of the tares among the wheat, will resolve the question of who belongs to the kingdom of heaven and who does not.

As a boy, the famous Persian poet Saudi sat by his father’s bedside and read the Koran. Everyone in the house was asleep except the two of them. Saudi said to his father: “They are all asleep, no one prays, no one reads the holy books, they are like the dead.” But his father replied: “It would be better if you too were asleep than to condemn people.”

So we should not judge people who come to Christ’s Church. We have no right to condemn even the greatest sinner. Instead, the Church counsels us to pray for them. After all, the Lord Jesus came into the world for this very purpose, to seek and to save what seemed to be lost. He is the Good Shepherd who seeks even the lost sheep. We cannot begrudge Him in this.

We already understand the purpose of the Gospel, that we are to help the Lord Jesus find our brothers and sisters, to catch them in the net. And there is no limit to our ability to do that. Our example and prayer is a great thing that the blood of Christ may not be shed in vain, but that through our instrumentality it may also bear abundant fruit so that there may be fewer and fewer of the wicked who will be cast into the fiery furnace.

Pope John Paul I, the Pope of Smiles, although he was Pope for a very short time, only 33 days, said in 1978: “May each one of us strive to be good, may we strive to infect others with the goodness and love that the Lord Jesus taught…”

As for ourselves, let us not trust ourselves too much. Today we stand firm; tomorrow, we may fall. David was a man of holy living, and he fell… Therefore, the prayer for steadfastness in goodness and faithfulness in God’s service be lifted from our lips. Just belonging to the Church will not save us, for there will still be sorting. Let the sorting and the choosing, as well as the auditions and the admissions, remind us of the last one at the world’s end.

In the Gospel, we are told the parable of the fisherman’s net, which catches different kinds of fish. When it is complete, they haul it

The Lord Jesus also gives a proper interpretation to the parable: “So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and shall separate the wicked from the righteous, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mt. 13:49).
The net parable follows the warning already given in the parable of the tares among the wheat that evil Christians will not escape God’s punishment. We see that the Lord Jesus speaks plainly, and yet, in spite of this, many have failed to do the will of God as it was explained to them. Therefore, they will be cast out of the net, that is, out of the Church, in the end. This parable was close to the hearers of the Lord Jesus, for many were fishermen. Fishing was their daily occupation. These fishermen convinced themselves that they would often get different kinds of fish in their nets. And to such a fisherman’s net, cast into the sea, the Lord Jesus compares the kingdom of God.

After the fishermen’s net was drawn in, the fish sorting followed. The Lord Jesus has one great truth to declare; so shall it be at the world’s end. There God will separate the good from the bad, and this is because God is a righteous Judge who rewards the good and punishes the bad.
Jesus also tells this parable to the apostles to emphasize the role of the apostle and their successors. The mission of an apostle is likened to the work of a fisherman. Fishing symbolizes the work done to save people. Just as both bad and good fish get caught in the net, so the apostles and their successors embrace all with Christ’s teaching. Thus both the good and the unworthy are caught in the net of the kingdom of heaven. But the end will come. A lot of the righteous are not mentioned here. But it is clear from the parable. A lot of the wicked is the same as the tares among the wheat (cf. Mt. 13:24-30).

The goal of the parable teaches us that we are to accept all who claim Christ. Our mission is not to judge but to witness. Only a final judgment, similar to the parable of the tares among the wheat, will resolve the question of who belongs to the kingdom of heaven and who does not.

As a boy, the famous Persian poet Saadi sat by his father’s bedside and read the Koran. Everyone in the house was asleep except the two of them. Saadi said to his father: “They are all asleep, no one prays, no one reads the holy books, they are like the dead.” But his father replied: “It would be better if you too were asleep than to condemn people.”

So we should not judge people who come to Christ’s Church. We have no right to condemn even the greatest sinner. Instead, the Church counsels us to pray for them. After all, the Lord Jesus came into the world for this very purpose, to seek and save what seemed to be lost. He is the Good Shepherd who seeks even the lost sheep. We cannot begrudge Him in this.

Let us remember how much effort it costs when we want to obtain, acquire or experience something valuable. Bring to mind the freshest memories of a holiday abroad. What all preceded it! The long hours of waiting, the walking, and why? … It was the vision of enriching your life. Or you wanted to buy a car. Even then, it was long years of saving, of giving up other things. Why? With a personal car, we want to enrich our lives, to know more.

The Gospel tells us about a man who wants to acquire something meant to enrich him. To get this wealth, he sells everything he has and buys that field in which he knows there is a hidden treasure. Another, in his turn, also sells everything and buys the precious pearl he desires. God is great. The kingdom of God is so unique that man is obliged to give up everything to obtain the good. By this is meant the value and price of the kingdom of God, which the Lord Jesus emphasized in two parables.

A peasant working in a foreign field discovers a treasure. He does not reveal the secret, but sells everything to become the owner of that field. In these words, the Gospel points to the efforts, to the toil and hardship of man, to the sacrifice made with joy when all this is to help him to obtain the treasure. That treasure for us is the kingdom of God. It is a treasure for which hardships must be endured.
In the second parable, the man searches for the pearls of great price, he does it conscientiously, planned, and professionally. This, in turn, is a picture of beautiful intentions, for he searches in toil and sweat. Here we can also see before us models: St. Justin, St. Augustine, and others who are models of the precious and irrevocable search for the truth they find in God. The merchant of pearls will sell all that he gets money to buy, and it is a rare pattern that will make up for all that he considers good.

We may also recall the Church’s history and the martyrs’ life. In times of persecution, they lost all their possessions, freedom, and even the most precious thing a man has, life. However, God is so great that in their final decision, the Kingdom of God is more precious to them than anything else and precious on earth. A Christian, especially one who has found the pearl of great price after long searches, must be in a state of complete preparation that once he has made up his mind, he must still go on. Every day forces a man to decide again and again, which means that he must be prepared for accountability before God. Man must permanently be renouncing something. That renunciation is necessary in order to see God and his kingdom. Today’s man has destroyed the feeling and the degree of value and often cannot appreciate actual value. We would be like the peasant who walks behind the plow, and although he knows there is buried treasure, he passes by unnoticed and does not care at all. He can’t think logically, even when grave matters are involved. He responds negatively to the notice of God, he wanders in difficult situations because he is either unwilling or unable to appreciate and value what is most needed in life.

The parables of the treasure hidden in the field and the pearl of great price are a great call to live our lives and our Christianity truly, in the light of valid values. In the parable of the pearl, it is said to have been found after a long search. God says that he goes before those who long for him, just as wisdom says: ‘Splendid is wisdom, and unfading is wisdom; it is easily seen by those who love it, it is found by those who seek it. It overtakes and makes itself known to those who hunger for it” (Wis 6:12-13).

Sometimes, the Lord God with His will is not even sought by man, but He goes before those who do not seek Him. Let us remember St. Paul. On the road, when he goes in search of Christians, he meets Jesus. The Lord God has different ways of meeting man; He draws each one differently. If a person is truly seeking the kingdom of goodness and truth, it is impossible not to find it. Let us decide quickly and without long deliberation; let us step out on the road, for it wastes time! Whoever seeks it must realize that it will not be without difficulty and toil.

Let us not especially celebrate the feast of Saints Joachim and Anna, but let us make today a day of gratitude for our parents, grandparents, and those who were at the beginning of our journey, showing us, teaching us to discover the treasure hidden on the roll of our life, or teaching and advising us to distinguish the pearl of great price from other, less precious pearls. Let us not forget Our Lady today. She, too, had to make a great decision of consent at the angel’s annunciation. Let us also say to her, “Fiat!” And then, quietly, unobtrusively, but faithfully and conscientiously, let us remain faithful to the Lord God.

The treasure or pearl at the beginning is hidden from us, but it is possible to obtain it. The kingdom of God as a reward for a life lived is a thing for which we need not fear to sell all that the world considers its treasure, for the glory of the world will be destroyed by rust, it may be eaten by moths, stolen by thieves, but the reward that Jesus promises is a state of joy that no one can imagine, as St. John writes of it: “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Cor. 2:9).

Discernment is an exceptional quality or gift. It is needed by those who manage, lead, and administer. Today, however, we are reminded that the believer is also to seek it. In the Gospel, the Son of God Himself, Jesus Christ, teaches us about the evil in the world. He uses the parable of the tares among the wheat to make this point. He uses wheat to refer to the good people in the world and tares to refer to the evil people in the world. The farmer who originally sowed only good seeds on his field and wanted to destroy the tares before the harvest so that they would not spoil his wheat would have damaged the wheat’s growth quite a bit.

The lesson to be learned from this parable is considerable. The Lord Jesus wanted to tell His apostles that when they saw so much evil in the world, not to be disgusted, for they might do even more evil by their attitude. Let them not judge the wicked. Let them realize that the tares will always remain tares, the wheat-only wheat. The wicked always have a chance to better themselves, and the goodness of others may be tried to earn a greater reward.

This parable reminds us of how the Lord Jesus behaved toward those who had fallen. The Lord Jesus received even Nicodemus with the most incredible patience and understanding. Eventually, Nicodemus became a disciple of the Lord. We may also mention here the public sinner Mary Magdalene. Everyone wanted to stone her because she was caught in the act of adultery. No one brought to the Lord the man with whom she had committed evil. The Lord Jesus saw their meanness. He did not condemn her. He rewarded her sincere conversion and love by making her a great saint. He appeared to her first after His resurrection, and she convinced even the apostles that the Lord had “really” risen.

Likewise, Matthew the Apostle. He was initially a tax collector, whom everyone liked to despise because he was very invasive of people. After meeting Jesus and acknowledging his guilt, he made restitution to all those he had wronged. He eventually became an apostle and evangelist. The Lord Jesus rejected only those who did not want to acknowledge their guilt and those who thought themselves righteous and despised others. It is sure from the parable that the Lord Jesus is the Judge and no one else. Judging others in the sight of God is at least as foolish as plucking tares from among the wheat. The Lord Jesus tells us: “Let both grow until the harvest” (Matt. 13:30). Therefore, leave even the judgment to the Lord, who will surely come and judge the living and the dead.

The Lord Jesus also calls us to act Christians towards evil. In everyday life we often hear the remark, “Why does the Lord Jesus suffer evil? Does He not see that while the evil are well treated, the good suffer?” In the first place, we must consider well, when we speak in this way, whether we ourselves are pure wheat. Do we not want to justify our own evil by these excuses? Furthermore, it should be clear that as good Christians, we should not despise or judge anyone. We know that only the Lord is the fairest Judge. We often exaggerate the faults of others, while the Lord knows all and is infinitely forgiving. We may not like to give someone else a second chance to better themselves, but we certainly expect the Lord to provide us with multiple options, so we do not perish. Indeed, when we dare to criticize someone, how often must the Lord warn us: “Why sees thou the mote in thy brother’s eye, and in thine own eye thou sees not the mote?” (Lk 6:41).

St. Paul advises us to be patient with evil, as the Lord is patient with us. When we forestall evil with patience, we find that we enlist the help of God. As good Christians, we can in no way condone the evil of the one who perpetrates it. We must accept him as a brother in need of help, which we show not by condemning him, but by being patient with him, by setting an example of good Christian living, and especially by praying for him. Let us know that the Lord despises only the sinner who does not want to improve himself.

There are indeed many tares among the wheat in the world. But if we reflect a little more honestly on the situation, we must admit that there is some good and some bad in ourselves, some wheat and some tares. And so, when we ask the Lord to be merciful and gracious to us, let us add to those we think are tares. So let us leave the judgment to the Lord, who bids us, “Let both grow until the harvest” (Matt. 13:30). There, the good of the good and the evil of the evil will be revealed.

Let us ask the Lord that we may find grace with Him and be able to be the good wheat in which the tares will not take hold.

Jesus told the crowds another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows, it is larger than other herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” Another parable he told them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman takes and mixes into three measures of flour until all is leavened.” Jesus spoke all this to the crowds in parables. He told them nothing without a parable so that what the prophet foretold might be fulfilled, “I will open my mouth in parables, I will declare things which have been hidden from the foundation of the world.”

A proper understanding and approach to contrasts can be beneficial. In architecture, we see white tastefully matched with black, and not just on houses of mourning. The age difference between siblings is not a barrier; on the contrary, when a mother says of her sons, one of whom is grown and the other learning to walk, that they are like little and big friends, one can sense the love and harmony. In contrast, one can sense strength and courage, life and beauty.

We sense something similar in the words of the Gospel – in the parable of the mustard seed and the leaven. In these parables, the contrast between the tiny beginning and the great result at the end is expressed. The grain of mustard seed is one of the smallest, and likewise with a piece of leaven, we get a great result. The mustard seed grows into a gnarled tree, and a bit of leaven turns the flour into the dough.

These words of the Lord Jesus are a picture of the kingdom of God, which begins unobtrusively and in a small group of people but reaches great proportions and amazing power. The Evangelist Matthew is not only thinking of the glorious revelation of the kingdom of God at the end of the world, but he is probably thinking of Christianity in general, which will slowly spread throughout the world. We know Christianity began in Palestine’s small province of the Roman Empire. At its beginning, we see a small group of twelve disciples gathering around Jesus of Nazareth, who outwardly was no different from any other simple man, over a period of three years. After all, he was born in a stranger’s stable and died a criminal on a cross. His life’s journey from Bethlehem to Jerusalem lasted only 33 years. And if we didn’t see the power in that today, which Jesus taught, we wouldn’t even understand the reason for his words in the Gospel.
This small community, mustard seed, and leaven have today grown into a mossy tree and fermented the whole world. There is not a nation, a race, or a language group where they have not known the fruit of the teachings of the Lord Jesus. History gives truth to this contrast, and so the words of Christ are fulfilled, “… the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mt. 16:18). And let us remember this because even today, we hear voices that this teaching, this personality, is meaningless.

Therefore, we may ask: Is this so? Is what the Lord Jesus brought worthlessness?
He has revealed to us the mystery of God, who is the beginning and the end of all that exists, of animate and inanimate nature, and of spiritual life. He introduced us to His Father and to our Father. He brought the doctrine of equality, which was unknown before the birth of the Lord Jesus. His teachings became the basis for cultural, economic, and scientific change in humanity. New and new people began to build and build upon his teachings at a faster pace, with a different approach. We are witnessing that the 21st century has not diminished the value of man’s relationship with God; on the contrary, solid research tells of growing faith in God, not among the ranks of ordinary people but especially among the personalities who are rewarded by the world with the world’s highest honors. This has been the case, is the case, and will be the case in the future.

The teaching of Jesus is a message of glad tidings that will sweep the world and triumph over sin. No violence, no persecution, no scientific worldview will prevent the fulfillment of Christ’s words, for he who knows just a little of the history of the law of logic and takes note of his own life cannot help sighing: how good it is that I am already dying, that it will be over at last. Man, after all, longs to live and to live forever. This was also the Creator’s first thought: His supreme workman should live forever. God endowed man with reason and free will, and this led man to fall and to misfortune. But the coming of the Lord Jesus into the world has lifted the veil, and man can have hope again.

However, the Gospel must not be understood as a mere quantity, a plurality. We also feel a qualitative obligation. To live qualitatively. To give to God what belongs to him. Remember to keep the day holy. We are in this world to know the Lord God, to love him, to serve him, and to be saved one day: for we also feel the admonition, “Not everyone who says to me: Lord, Lord, … “Lord, I say, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but only he who does the will of my Father” (Mt. 7:21).

History has also brought many lessons for us. Many have failed, but only to their detriment – Judas, one of the Twelve. In the past, some early Christians failed under the threat of death. And that is both a lesson and a warning for us. Let us learn from contrasts and realize that they can enrich us.

It’s Saturday morning. We get in the car. Ahead of us is almost a hundred kilometers of road through mountains and valleys. We go in search of the forsaken who live without faith. How will they receive us? Will they recognize us? It has been decades since they have gone far from the faithful. How do they live? They live across the street from each other. Just four steps from the door. The man still has a wife. The children have long since left home. We knock, but no one answers. Behind the door, we hear a faint slam. We open the door. There is silence. We open the other. It’s a bedroom. Two beds, a picture on the wall that says: When you go across the water, I’ll be with you. We go in. In the kitchen stands the crouched, skeletal figure of a woman. Her back is turned, she can’t see us, she can’t hear us, she doesn’t answer our greeting. I touch her shoulder, she turns around. Her eyes are wide open, and she has a single question:
– What do you want here?
– We are looking for you.
– I don’t know you, – she answers.
– But I know you from the photograph.
She is very old in body and spirit. There is pain and moaning. There is only groaning and despair. All trust in God has spilled out of her mind like grain from a leaky sack. The two think only of which of them will die first. We wanted to weep over such a wealth of misery. We go away sad with one prayer, “Lord, do not let us be separated from you.” (Source, Living Words 1/1987, p. 4).

All week we have been listening to the parable of the sower. Although he sowed everywhere and in abundance, not everything took hold and produced the same harvest. It often turns out as it did with those we have just imagined. They were full of energy, full of faith, full of love, but also full of hope. They didn’t care about religion and allowed it to be trampled by their own disinterest. Perhaps their faith had been snatched from them by others. Perhaps. The parable of the tares is like a continuation of this week’s Gospel.

The great field sown with good wheat is the Church of Christ. From the beginning, it has been a Church of sinners and saints. Into the sea of paganism, the disciples of Christ sowed the Word of God. It sprouted and grew, but it did not destroy the tares. On the contrary, the tares constantly threaten to choke out the good sowing. Therefore, in the days when Christianity had power, zealous men arose who determined to destroy the tares, but the result was not the best. The field was damaged.

That’s why Jesus wisely says: “Wait! God is the Lord of time.”
The kingdom of God is something entirely different from a wheat field. Jesus is talking about patience and the great goodness of God toward people. Always a new and fresh chance, an opportunity. And that’s why we had a better look within ourselves, each one of us. For that flax, that field of good wheat is also every human soul. Although we are delighted and quick to see the tares in the other, we want to be honest with ourselves and look at the field of our own soul. How many good words and well-meaning advice have we heard, how many warnings and admonitions have been addressed to us. And this means that not only the purest, best wheat grows in the field of our own soul. It also means that man can improve himself. He has the opportunity to remove the tares from his soul himself and replace them with good ears. That is why Jesus recommends patience. He allows everyone time. Our time is our whole life. When the harvest comes, the final end will come, and there will be nothing that can be fixed or changed. There will only be sorting into God’s barn or the fire.

If we feel our soul is a good role, our fellow men should feel it too. We should be good reading for the other so that he may safely govern himself. If we feel that we are good wheat in the Church on God’s significant role, then we should also feel our duty to be encouraged by others, perhaps those nearest to us, to be full and have good ears.

Years ago many girls chose a religious life. Many of them are sincere about their vocation, even though today they live outside the convents. One of them has an old grandfather who, he claimed, because of the scandal of some priest, had not been to confession or church since his marriage. Neither old age nor illness has drawn him to God. He always justified his conscience to the aforementioned priest. But this grandfather also had another image – his niece, who visited him now and then. And so, slowly but surely, the grandfather changed, and in the end, he had only one condition. “I will put myself in order, but not with my home priest, for I am ashamed.” When he was called by the priest he had first seen, his first words were probably these, “I was not intimidated by anyone, but provoked by the life of my niece. Why shouldn’t I also belong to the Lord God when she – young and educated – belongs to Him.”

Here is beautifully shown the patience of God, who gives man each new day as a unique chance and opportunity to be good wheat on the significant role of the Church.

Let us try to apply this Gospel, not to the other, but to ourselves, for though we do not want to be selfish, that we want salvation only for ourselves, yet we should care first for our own salvation, and then, surely by our example, by our life, we shall also help others who may be waiting for our example and help.

In the material realm, it is a matter of course when we buy an item, whether electrical or another precious object, that we also get the necessary interpretation for it, which we call the User’s Manual. Whoever wants the thing he has bought to serve him and to give him pleasure reads the instructions carefully. However, many do not see such an obvious procedure in the area of faith. That is why we see many churches treating, for example, the words of the Lord Jesus, particularly strangely. They interpret the text of the Holy Scriptures, each according to his own.

The words of the Lord Jesus are often difficult for the hearers to understand. The parable of the sower and the seeds, too, is difficult, which is why the Lord Jesus Himself gives an interpretation of the parable. The Evangelist Matthew, who recorded these words of the Lord Jesus, knew for himself the power and value of the words of Christ. …a single encounter and the tax collector becomes an apostle. Indeed within himself, Matthew must have struggled much. With this parable, he wanted to express a warning to the very first Christians to accept the words of the Lord Jesus willingly. In the fate of the grains that left the sower’s hand, we are to see in the parable-allegory the fate of the message of the Lord Jesus in four types of people. The scale begins from those who “hear the word of the kingdom and do not understand it” to those who “hear the word and understand it.” In between, there are two more groups.

The first group is the non-understanders.
It represents the person who does not think about what he hears and that he should put these words into practice. Therefore, the Lord Jesus says: “The Evil One is coming and will take hold of what has been sown in his heart” (Mt. 13:19).

The second group is fickle.
To this group belongs the person who is quick to draw near Jesus and gets excited at the first opportunity. However, when the first difficulties arise, he abandons Christ. The Lord Jesus explains this action by saying, “With whom it was sown in the rocky ground is he who hears the word and receives it gladly at once, but it has no root in him; he is momentary. He immediately falls away when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word” (Mt. 13:20).

The third group is calculating.
This group represents the person who wants only to do well on both sides: with God and with men. This means sitting on two stools. And the practice of life teaches that this group often succumbs to material concerns, which become closer to them than spiritual ones, and therefore interest in God is stifled in them. The Lord Jesus explained this group by saying, “With whom it is sown in thorns, he it is who hears the word; but worldly cares and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it remains unprofitable” (Matt. 13:22).

The fourth group is faithful.
It is the positive group that represents the good ground. These are the people genuinely committed to bringing something of value in life. They put into practice what their convictions impose upon them. They know how to remain faithful in joy and tribulation alike.
The Lord Jesus explains, “And with whom the good ground has been sown, it is he who hears the word and understands it, and it brings forth a harvest: one hundredfold, another sixty-fold, and another sixty fold, and another thirty-fold” (Mt. 13:23).

Inadvertently, the question arises: To which group do I belong? We have heard, read, and seen much about the Lord Jesus. Surely you remember the beautiful experiences of meeting Him when we were directly touched by His love. Perhaps we even made promises, resolutions, and plans to reform and change our lives… But for how long, how well did we accomplish it? What happened to our solutions? Does it also apply to us that we heard but did not understand? And yet, today, we realize again that the one who builds his thoughts and actions, his daily and ordinary life on the words of the Lord Jesus, shows that he has understood the interpretation from today’s Gospel given by the Lord Jesus himself.

It is not too late if we begin again now. We bear the consequences of original sin and can only overcome them in the closest union with Christ. No amount of halfheartedness, sitting on two stools, and superficiality will produce a harvest that will enrich, delight, and secure a worthy goal. Slowly the harvest is coming to an end. The granaries are filling. We are beginning to take stock. Today we know who did the right thing months ago, and it has paid off. And vice versa. So it is with our spiritual harvest. For we do not know the day or the hour. The important thing is to make good use of this one we live through. And it calls us to Christ-related activity.

Precious objects need an Instruction Manual and a Letter of Guarantee. Our faith requires an interpretation of the teachings of the Church that will convey to us the teachings of the Lord Jesus. Therefore, we accept her words.

Recently I had the opportunity to meet a man – a computer expert. Many an owner can spend hours in front of a computer. However, this expert can do small miracles with the computer to help people gain time and money. I did not understand many things, so he answered my questions with various explanations and similes.

Even the Lord Jesus, when He wanted to explain something essential and important to the apostles, often used parables. Therefore, the apostles once asked him about this matter, and he answered them: “Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them, it is not given…” (Mt. 13:11).

These words of the Lord Jesus also need explanation. We may therefore ask: What decides in this matter? On the one hand, it is the gift of God and, on the other hand, sincerity, and willingness to accept the Word of God. This means that where this will is lacking, the “mystery” of the kingdom of God will not be opened to man. That is why the Lord Jesus says that where this willingness is absent, the man looks and does not see, listens, and does not understand.

In this way, we can also understand the broad masses of people who listen to the teachings of the Lord Jesus but do not understand them, and this is only because they can only look at everything with material eyes, or they look at Jesus only as the Messiah – the politician who would restore the kingdom of God on earth.

It was a difficult time for the Jews. A nation occupied but also mismanaged and misguided as the scribes and Pharisees, who usurped the key to lead the nation, distorted the mission of the awaited Messiah. The prophet likened their actions to this, saying, Their heart was turned to fatness. Therefore, when the Lord Jesus comes, and there is such an unfavorable situation for important truths of His teaching, He uses various similes, and images, and yet the essence of the mystery of God remains hidden from the hearers. But the Lord Jesus, when He is alone with His disciples, explains to them the nature and meaning of the mysteries of faith. Before the disciples, the Lord Jesus speaks openly and often returns to the things these apostles will one day have to spread and teach after his ascension. That is why he often criticizes them for speaking openly, and they do not understand.

Just think of how many sounds, images, and sensations over the course of a day impact our senses. So often, we may find ourselves in danger of merely looking but not seeing, of listening and yet not understanding.

To give just one analogy: it is the season of holidays and vacations. Imagine just one car journey of a few hours. What we experience in that time! When we see the police in front of us, a thought flashes: What was the sign a moment ago? What happened? Maybe that forty saw it and missed it. Perhaps he was in a hurry and crossed the entire line with one wheel… He saw, and yet it was as if he didn’t see.

Or another example: you’re worried. Someone says something to you, and you respond that well. After a while, you’re willing to argue that you didn’t hear it. Why? The person was preoccupied with something else, heard a word from another, but in the back of his mind was attending to his problem.

Let us return to the spiritual. Let us ask ourselves: Are we still willing to hear what the Lord Jesus came to tell us in the Gospel? Are our eyes still open to the grand horizons of God’s plans that lead man and the world to eternal happiness? How open are we to the Word of God that we hear at Mass? Do we listen to it, or do we just register it? This is what we have to be aware of today and not be content with just being physically present, but our presence must be active. In the words of the Lord Jesus, “But blessed are your eyes that see, and your ears that hear” (Mt 13:16).

Let us desire to be happy, that is, to truly experience the encounter with the Lord Jesus. Let superficiality and passivity be removed from us by our action, for we would not be disciples of the Lord Jesus, but a crowd at Christ’s side, who hear but do not understand; who see and yet do not comprehend. In modern times, one cannot do without parables. Indeed, I read in a recent article that we should express ourselves in myths, even in everyday speech. It will enrich our spiritual life.

The Lord Jesus shows us the way to true greatness: whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant. He has shown us and illuminated this path by His example. He did not come to be served but to serve. He served by his teaching, by his works of mercy, by his consolation, by his help, by his counsel – and above all, by shedding his blood to the last drop for humanity; he serves us even now on the altar, sacrificing himself to us and for us, awaiting every call. Thanks to his attitude of a servant, service has become an honor; to serve means: to follow the Son of God. And service is every work, every fulfillment of the duties of one’s state, sacrificially following the example of Christ who gives his life for many. The sacrifice measures a man’s greatness we make in the service of our ideals and our fellow men, also giving our lives, if not “for” many – then “for” many.

St. Emeram, a native of Poitier’s, France, worked on himself this way. He became a missionary. The Duke of Regensburg in Bavaria asked him to help bring the people of that region to God. Emeran was successful. After a time, he wanted to report his work to the Pope in Rome. As soon as he left, something terrible happened. Theodore’s daughter Uta could no longer hide her relationship with the judge’s son. Out of fear of her father, she blamed Bishop Emeram. She thought he was far away, and eventually, as long as the bishop returned, things would be settled. She had not anticipated that her brother would go to see the bishop with his entourage. They caught up with him near Munich. The mercenaries blinded the bishop, cut off his hands and feet, and left him as he was. The guides took the bishop, still alive, to the church where he died. Uta’s falsity came to light. The duke banished his son and daughter and had the dead body of the bishop brought to Rezno, where he is buried.

Similarly, St. Maurice deserves our respect, admiration, and imitation; as a soldier with his comrades, he writes a letter saying that they are Christians and are willing to go into the stiffest battle, but they will not offer sacrifice to the pagan gods. Nevertheless, every tenth man was executed.

We know even less about Jonah, the martyr, but what he learned from the missionary St. Dionysius he invested correctly. He did not hesitate when it came to die for Christ.

It is up to us, to each one of us, today, now – not to hesitate. God needs our confession. We know the whole teaching of Christ. We are better off today than the apostles were in the beginning. Let us give everything to Christ again. Our condition, age, and position. Let it all speak of our faith, faithfulness, and love for Christ. In this will be reflected our greatness, which so pleases God and which God so desires. Jesus calls us to work, to bear witness to Christ. That is how we become like Christ.