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| “St. Anne with the Virgin and Child and St. Joachim” (Detail) by Joos van Cleve, c. 1520 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Jeremiah 14:17-22
Commentary Jer 14:17-22
This reading is part of the Prophet Jeremiah’s great lament for the destruction and death that has come to Judah. He uses the metaphor of a young woman, mortally wounded, to describe the damage to the land and people. The concluding verses constitute a plea for mercy, and a confession of past sins (“We recognize, O Lord, our wickedness, the guilt of our fathers”). The implication is that the destruction visited upon them was a consequence of their sin. The Prophet’s final plea recognizes the one True God who is all powerful.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 79:8, 9, 11 and 13
Commentary Ps 79:8, 9, 11 and 13
Psalm 79 is a lament over the destruction of the Temple. In this part of the hymn the psalmist asks God for forgiveness of past offenses and compassion in their need. This sin has resulted in their imprisonment and separated them from God. This hymn was offered after the destruction of the temple and the loss of the Ark of the Covenant. It is a plea for compassion and help while repenting from sins (“Deliver us and pardon our sins for your name’s sake”).
CCC: Ps 79:9 431
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Gospel: Matthew 13:36-43
Commentary on Mt 13:36-43
Jesus dismisses the crowd who, in this instance, represent the unbelieving of Israel. The remainder of this passage is directed at instruction of the disciples. The Lord’s explanation of the parable of the weeds clearly shows the intent of the story. The judgment of the wicked by God through his angels will take place in the Eschaton (the end times – the end of the age). The righteous will be vindicated (shine like the sun). The final statement: “Whoever has ears ought to hear,” is both a warning and a statement of need for patience by the faithful.
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Reflection:
So often we forget that there is a dynamic struggle taking place in the world between God and his nemesis, the Evil One, as the Gospel names him. We think that evil is passive in the world, and while we should avoid it, it does not seek us out.
Jesus makes it clear that the struggle is on-going, and that the children of God are at risk, not just of sinning of their own accord, but of being seduced by the Evil One and falling into eternal fire. The warning is apt. The evil of the world has trapped so many right-intentioned people. We see the devil portrayed in scripture as a fallen angel. If, therefore, we consider how an angel might appear to us, we must also consider what form he might take should the fallen one present himself to us. How are we to know that it is not one of God’s messengers who is persuading us to take a course of action?
Recall that in the desert, when Christ was tempted by the same Evil One, the devil even quoted scripture to the Lord to try to seduce him away from his salvific mission. He offered food to a hungry man, and water to one who thirsted. He offered all the kingdoms of the earth, essentially the fulfillment of Christ’s mission, to Jesus who came to save all people for the Heavenly Father. All this he offered, if our Lord would but bow to him, the fallen angel. How tempting that must have been to the Lord as he looked past his trial in the desert, and saw at the end of his earthly mission the cross of his passion standing starkly on Calvary’s hill.
The Lord’s warning to the disciples, and hence to us, is indeed apt. We, who strive to keep Christ’s mission of love visible in the world, are challenged constantly. Not by some benign evil that sits like a pit for us to avoid, but by a malignant evil, active and insatiable, a spirit that seeks to ambush us, choke us as weeds, as we attempt to do God’s will. Our attitude must be one of constant vigilance and prayer. It is only by keeping this vigil and remaining in a state of constant discernment that we can see evil for what it is, and avoid the terrible harvest at the end of time. “Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
Pax
[1] The picture is “St. Anne with the Virgin and Child and St. Joachim” (Detail) by Joos van Cleve, c. 1520
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