July 28. SEE.   Gloria, the confirmation catechist told her class that there is a whole catechetical lesson in the gospel of the day about the Kingdom of God and the parable of the good seed and the weeds.  Jesus explained the meaning to the disciples after he had told the parable to the crowd.  He said, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man – (he himself),  the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom.  The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil.  The harvest is the close of the age and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burnt with fire so will it be at the close of the age, the Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and throw them into the furnace of fire.  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Gloria asked the teenagers if they had been following all the court cases about corruption that have been in the news for so long.  Some had taken an interest, others had talked to parents or adults but everyone agreed that the it was really shocking how much corruption in the police was being uncovered. “It is like twice as bad and those who do evil are criminals and should be punished.,” Sipho declared, “Police should obey the law as well as enforce the law. They should be our protectors”  “Whistleblowers are our angels.” Gloria then added,   “the Kingdom of God is a kingdom of love, justice, truth, peace and freedom. Let that be your manifesto for your life.”          

JUDGE. Reflect and share. Scripture.  The kingdom of Godand the good seed……Matthew 13:36-43.  Pope Francis:   Faith allows us to interpret the meaning and the mysterious beauty of what is unfolding.  We are free to apply our intelligence towards things evolving positively or towards adding new ills, new causes of suffering and real setback.  This is the drama of human history in which freedom, growth, salvation and love can blossom or lead to decadence and mutual destruction. LS 79.    Pope Leo: 210. The construction of a world in a state of perpetual conflict is an evil and must be named for what it is. This way of portraying our current situation may seem bleak or pessimistic, yet I consider it necessary to do so. The Christian perspective, however, is not limited to denouncing evil. We view history in the light of the crucified and risen Lord, to whom the Father has given “all authority in heaven and on earth”(Mt 28:18).. MH210     

ACT AND PRAY. Support the investigations and proceedings to combat corruption.  Pray for peace in our country.  Pray the Prayer of St Francis, pray for grandparents and the elderly.  We pray for God’s blessing on the grandparents and elderly of our families and community, bless them with peace and contentment and an acceptance that their lives were well spent in your service. We ask St Joachim and St Anne, the grandparents of Jesus, to pray with us.