In this week's Gospel reading, Jesus tells three parables about the Kingdom of Heaven. In all of them, something small grows into something much bigger. Seeds grow in to wheat and a mustard tree, and a small amount of yeast spreads throughout the entire dough. Our Lord also addresses the question of His permitting evil to remain along with good in the parable of the wheat and the tares. He does so, as the responsorial psalm says because the Lord is, "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and fidelity." He gives us all every opportunity to turn from evil and toward Him. However, Jesus' explanation of the parable also teaches us that there is a culmination to the Kingdom of Heaven when evil and all evildoers are finally put away and the righteous will shine like the sun.

Readings:

Wisdom 12:13,16-19
Psalm 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16
Romans 8:26-27
Matthew 13:24-43

Here are a few commentaries on these readings:

• St. Charles Borromeo Lectionary Site (PDF)


• Of Wheat and Weeds (Also available to be heard as an MP3) from St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology


• Parable of the Wheat and the Tares: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" (Also available to be heard as an MP3) from The Crossroads Initiative