Thursday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time, August 3, 2023

Fishing nets at Pourville, Painted by Claude Monet (1840-1926) Creative Commons

Gospel Reading

Mt 13:47-53

Jesus said to the disciples:

"The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,

which collects fish of every kind.

When it is full they haul it ashore

and sit down to put what is good into buckets.

What is bad they throw away.

Thus it will be at the end of the age.

The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous

and throw them into the fiery furnace,

where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."

"Do you understand all these things?"

They answered, "Yes."

And he replied,

"Then every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of heaven

is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom

both the new and the old."

When Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there.

Reflection

“The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."

I have been reflecting on this reading for a few days now and what stands out to me is the increasingly vivid realization of the fact that we all have a job, working for the Kingdom of Heaven. First with cultivating and grooming our own soul. Secondly, to be a witness for Christ to the world, but, where is our focus?

There are things that I know. I know how to get up in the morning, how to shower, give myself nourishment, and even how to learn. It is a different thing all together though to actually do these things.

I have a friend who actually had a hard time doing these very simple tasks. She had an extreme amount of problems in her life and physical ailments. However, her witness to those around her emitted a beautiful fragrance of Christ. Don’t get me wrong, she had her good days and bad days, but she did her best to feed her soul the nourishment of the Word of God and the Holy Eucharist, which she said gave her the strength and the courage to keep looking at her every circumstance as a gift from the Lord.

What does this have to do with the reading for today? How many of us know someone like my friend who had a hard life? How do we handle or deal with our daily problems or challenges?

There are so many things we can do for the Kingdom of Heaven. However, many of us are focusing on the end result, like the part where the angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. What can I do that would warrant being good or righteous? It’s too hard, therefore we are frozen and do not do anything.

In 1 Corinthians 10:31 we are called to do all for the Glory of God. And in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 St. Paul implores us, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God. God is merciful. That is why he allows the net to catch all kinds of fish, the good and the bad. He is giving us every chance to do good. His love is tremendous and He should be our focus.

I am learning about this tremendous love that God has for me. I am a part of PAPA, which is a beautiful family of lay men and women and religious who have united with the common focus to pray for priests! That is what we have all pledged to do, to unite our prayers and sacrifices and offer them up to Jesus with the belief that He will hear our prayers and help our priests to be holy. It is such a little thing, that even my friend could do it, and she did until she passed away. I feel that she is still praying for our priests.

This is my little way of sharing Jesus Christ with all who I encounter. I am learning that it doesn’t take a big huge thing to be good in the eyes of God. Our PAPA Spiritual Director has helped many of us to open our eyes to the Truth of the Word of God. We are learning to take it slow, and do one little thing at a time, right now. Prayer is a good place to start. Will you take a couple of minutes to say the Prayer for Priests right now? Here is the link. And may God bless you abundantly.