GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT MATTHEW 13,44-52
At that time, Jesus said to the people: «The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field: whoever finds it hides it again and, full of joy, goes to sell everything he has and buys the treasure. field. The kingdom of heaven is also like a merchant in fine pearls who, upon finding one of great value, goes to sell everything he has and buys it. The kingdom of heaven is also like the net that is cast into the sea and collects all kinds of fish: when it is full, they drag it to the shore, sit down, and gather the good ones in baskets and the bad ones they throw away. The same thing will happen at the end of time: the angels will come out, separate the bad from the good and throw them into the burning oven. There will be the crying and the grinding of teeth. Do you understand all this correctly?
They answered: “Yes.”
He said to them: “You see, a scribe who understands the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of the ark what is new and what is old.”
Lord’s word
LET’S REFLECT TOGETHER
Dear brothers and sisters:
The evangelical parables are brief narratives that Jesus uses to announce the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. By using images and situations of daily life, the Lord “wants to show us the true foundation of all things… He shows us… the God who acts, who enters our lives and wants to take us by the hand” (Jesus of Nazareth I, Benedict XVI-Joseph Ratzinger, The sphere of books, 2007, p. 233). With this type of discourse, the divine Master invites us to recognize above all the primacy of God the Father: where he is not, nothing can be good. It is a decisive priority for everything. Kingdom of heaven means, precisely, the lordship of God, and this means that his will must be assumed as the guiding criteria of our existence.
The theme contained in this Sunday’s Gospel is precisely the kingdom of heaven. “Heaven” should not be understood only in the sense of the height that is above us, since this infinite space also has the shape of the interiority of man. Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a wheat field to make us understand that something small and hidden has been sown within us, which nevertheless has a vital force that cannot be suppressed. Despite all obstacles, the seed will develop and the fruit will ripen. This fruit will only be good if the soil of life is cultivated according to the divine will. For this reason, in the parable of the wheat and the tares (Mt 13, 24-30), Jesus warns us that, after the owner sowed, “while everyone was sleeping”, “his enemy of his” intervened, sowing the tares . This means that we have to be prepared to guard the grace received from the day of Baptism, nourishing faith in the Lord, which prevents evil from taking root. Saint Augustine, commenting on this parable, observes that “many are tares first and then become wheat.” And he adds: “If these, when they are bad, were not patiently tolerated, they would not reach the laudable change” (Quaest. Septend. In Ev. Sec. Matth., 12, 4: pl 35, 1371).
Dear friends, the Book of Wisdom, from which today’s first reading is taken, underlines this dimension of the divine Being. He says: “because besides you there is no other God who takes care of everything… because your strength is the beginning of justice and your dominion over everything makes you be indulgent with everyone” (Wis 12, 13.16). And Psalm 85 confirms it: “You, Lord, are good and gracious, rich in mercy to those who call on you” (v. 5). Therefore, if we are children of such a great and good Father, let us try to be like him! This was the objective that Jesus proposed with his preaching. In effect, he said to those who listened to him: “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48). Let us turn with confidence to Mary, whom we invoked yesterday with the invocation of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, so that she may help us to faithfully follow Jesus, and thus to live as true children of God.
WYD Lisbon 2023. The program of the Apostolic Journey of Pope Francis
This Tuesday, June 6, the Program of the Apostolic Journey of the Holy Father to Portugal was published, on the occasion of the XXXVII World Youth Day, which will take place from August 1 to 6 in Lisbon.
The Holy See Press Office announced this Tuesday, June 6, the Program of the Apostolic Journey of Pope Francis to Portugal, on the occasion of the XXXVII World Youth Day (WYD), which will take place from June 1 to June 6. August in Lisbon.
Wednesday August 2
Although it is true that WYD in Lisbon 2023 will begin on August 1, the Holy Father will depart from Rome’s Fiumicino airport for the capital of Portugal, on the morning of Wednesday, August 2. The arrival of the Pontiff at the airport of the “Figo Maduro” Air Base is scheduled for 10:00 in the morning; Right there, the Official Welcome will be held. Immediately afterwards, Pope Francis will move to the National Palace of Bethlehem, where the Welcome Ceremony will take place. Around 11:15 in the morning, the Bishop of Rome will pay a Courtesy Visit to the President of the Republic, and then go to the Meeting with the Authorities, Civil Society and the Diplomatic Corps, at the Bethlehem Cultural Center, where he will deliver his maiden speech.
In the afternoon, the Holy Father will receive the Prime Minister of Portugal at the Apostolic Nunciature. Then, at 5.30 in the afternoon, the Pontiff will preside over the Vespers prayer with the Bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, seminarians and pastoral workers, in the Monastery of Jerónimos. There, he will deliver a homily.
Thursday August 3
The following day, Thursday August 3, Pope Francis will begin his activities at 9:00 in the morning, with the Meeting with Young University Students, at the Catholic University of Portugal, to whom the Pope will address a speech. Later, at 10:40, the Holy Father will participate in the Meeting with the Youth of Scholas Occurrentes, at the Portuguese headquarters of this organization in Cascais.
The public activities of that day will conclude on Thursday afternoon, with the speech that the Holy Father will deliver at the Welcome Ceremony, in Eduardo VII Park.
Friday August 4
While, on Friday, August 4, Pope Francis will begin his activities at 9:00 in the morning, administering the Confession of some WYD Youth, in the Plaza del Imperio. Immediately afterwards, the Holy Father will address a speech at the Meeting with the Representatives of Some Assistance and Charity Centers, at the Serafina Parish Center. At the end of this meeting, the Pontiff will go to the Apostolic Nunciature for lunch with the young people.
On Friday afternoon, the Bishop of Rome will participate in the prayer of the Via Crucis with the Youth, in Eduardo VII Park.
Saturday August 5th
On the morning of Saturday, August 5, Pope Francis will go by helicopter to the Fatima stadium, at 9:30 in the morning, he will lead the Prayer of the Holy Rosary with the Sick Youth, in the Chapel of the Apparitions of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima. After this meeting, the Pontiff will return by helicopter to Lisbon.
And as is customary in Apostolic Journeys, on Friday afternoon, the Holy Father will meet privately with the members of the Society of Jesus, at the San José de Brito College. Later, at 8:45 p.m., the Pope will participate in the Vigil with the Youth, in Tejo Park.
Sunday August 6
The closing Mass of World Youth Day will be celebrated by Pope Francis in Parque del Tejo, on Sunday, August 6 at 9:00 in the morning. In the afternoon, there will be a Meeting with the WYD Volunteers, in the “Passeio Marìtimo” of Algez, before the Farewell Ceremony at the “Figo Maduro” air base. The return flight to Rome will depart at 6:15 p.m. and arrive at Fiumicino airport at 10:15 p.m.
SOURCE: Vatican News