?The field is the world; the good seed are the people of the Kingdom...? ? Matthew 13:38

When my mother died in 2003, I experienced long burnouts afterwards. What I used to welcome (such as requests for counseling in the parish, or to facilitate groups), I now resisted, albeit interiorly. A retreat revealed to me that I needed to rest in Jesus? company. And that?s what I did.
      For nearly a year, I minimized my community and ministry involvement. I concentrated on feeding my soul, mostly through reading Scripture and inspirational materials, the Sacraments, and talks with close friends.
      In time, my ?field? became ready again for sowing. The field has been set anew, with different people in it. I experienced again the joy of serving, of touching people?s lives, and of being blessed by such involvements.
      I know that, in time, I will ripen again and bear fruit, through the work of the Divine Sower.TessVA.

REFLECTION:
Is your field ready for sowing? If not, what can you do to get it ready?

Lord, my life is in Your hands. Use me and make me bear fruit

Jeremiah 14:17-22

There can be times when we feel abandoned by all of our friends and disaster looms big in our lives. Even God can seem to have abandoned us at times. Jeremiah laments the great losses of Israel on the battlefield and speaks of an imminent defeat of the nation. He questions God?s commitment to the people. However, in the end, he realizes the truth that even in moments of deepest despair, his and Israel?s only hope is the Lord. That is true for us as well. Let us pray for the faith to put this belief into action.

17 Speak to them this word: Let my eyes stream with tears day and night, without rest, over the great destruction which overwhelms the virgin daughter of my people, over her incurable wound. 18 If I walk out into the field, look! Those slain by the sword; if I enter the city, look! Those consumed by hunger. Even the prophet and the priest forage in a land they know not. 19 Have you cast Judah off completely? Is Zion loathsome to you? Why have you struck us a blow that cannot be healed? We wait for peace, to no avail; for a time of healing, but terror comes instead. 20 We recognize, O LORD, our wickedness, the guilt of our fathers; that we have sinned against you. 21 For your name?s sake spurn us not, disgrace not the throne of your glory; remember your covenant with us, and break it not. 22 Among the nations? idols is there any that gives rain? Or can the mere heavens send showers? Is it not you alone, O LORD, our God, to whom we look? You alone have done all these things.

P S A L M

Psalm 79:8, 9, 11, 13

R: For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

8 Remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may your compassion quickly come to us, for we are brought very low. (R) 9 Help us, O God our Savior, because of the glory of your name; deliver us and pardon our sins for your name?s sake. (R) 11 Let the prisoners? sighing come before you; with your great power free those doomed to death. (R) 13 Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; through all generations we will declare your praise. (R)

G O S P E L

Matthew 13:36-43

Whether we like it or not we are in the midst of a battle which results into spells of eternal life or eternal death. When we are in the midst of temptation, or when we have already traveled down the path of sin, let us not be fooled by the lies of the enemy who seeks to tempt us from our call of righteousness and plunge us onto a path that will lead us to our destruction. Moral choices should never be taken lightly as their ultimate meaning is a matter of life or death. I know which side I want to be on in the end, but have I the courage and strength to persevere in it?
  
36 Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, ?Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.? 37 He said in reply, ?He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, 38 the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 Just as weeds are collected and burned [up] with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear.?

my reflections
think: In moments of deepest despair, our only hope is the Lord.

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 God?s special verse/thought for me today________________

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  T O D A Y ? S BLESSING LIST

Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________

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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Isaiah 55-57

There are only two beings known to have the ability to look straight at the sun. One is real while the other is fictitious. The real being that can look straight at the sun is the eagle. Zoologists say that eagles can actually fly towards the sun. The fictitious being that can look straight at the sun is Superman. Except for kryptonite, Superman can conquer everything, including the sun.
      We are not eagles and neither are we superheroes. We have our strengths as well as our weaknesses, our assets and limitations. We can look at the sun but not without sunglasses.
      The Lord promises us something earthshaking in the Gospel today. He says, ?Then the virtuous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.? Wow! We cannot look straight at the sun. But if we do our best to live virtuously we shall shine like the sun. I can hardly imagine that day! But it will happen because Jesus says so.
      A song easily comes to my mind:
      You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord, who abides in His shadow for life, say to the Lord, ?My Refuge, my God in whom I trust.? And He will raise you up on eagle?s wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of His hand. The snare of the fowler will never capture you
nor the arrow that flies by day.
      Under His wings your refuge. His faithfulness your shield.
      This beautiful song was taken from Psalm 91. And Jesus knew this psalm like any good Jew. He now asserts that what this psalm says is true. By doing so, He encourages us to continue doing good, to persevere in virtue, to persist in righteousness no matter what. Living uprightly even when others want to break you needs such encouragement from the Lord. If we persevere in virtue, Jesus tells us today that we would become more than the eagle or any superhero. We shall shine like the sun. And that is for real. Fr. Bobby T.

REFLECTION QUESTION:
Virtues are like gems. The virtuous man is precious. I am precious n the eyes of the Lord. I am His gem. My luster shines like the sun.

Father, help me persevere in holiness. Lend me a hand as I strive each day to live a virtuous life. Let Your hand polish me and give luster to my life that I may one day shine like the sun in Your kingdom. Amen.

St. Alphonsus. De Liguori, bishop and confessor, pray for us.