16th Sunday Kingdom of Heaven (Weeds & Wheat)

 

 The kingdom of heaven is like…

In the parable of the weeds among the wheat, Jesus confirms what we already know to be true: evil exists in the world. We see evidence of it all around us.

Kansas is the wheat state. We produce more wheat than any other state in the US. To get rid of weeds, it’s also impractical to walk through the fields and pull up weeds, which is very labor intensive.

Farmers use ground sprayers in the fields to spray the weeds before harvest. The tires usually don't damage wheat because it is a robust plant.

When harvest draws near if weeds begin to show up, crop dusters (airplanes) are filled with chemicals used to kill weeds.

The majority of farmers allow the weeds and the wheat to grow together. Then when harvest comes, the combines separate the grain from the chaff. The grain goes into the bin and the weeds fall to the ground.

In the world today, sometimes it seems as if evil is winning. We can wonder, will the weeds eventually choke out the wheat and overturn the field of God’s kingdom? Will the weeds destroy the wheat and ruin the wheat harvest? When Jesus went through His passion, it seemed as though all was lost. At the moment of His death on the Cross, it appeared evil defeated God’s kingdom of love and truth. But paradoxically, it was then evil was defeated. Death was destroyed by the death of Christ.

The fact is, by His death and resurrection, Jesus won the victory over evil. In the end, the angels of God will sort the good from the bad and evil will be destroyed forever. Someday God’s kingdom will reign over all the earth.

Meanwhile, how can we hasten its coming? It’s significant that after telling the first parable about the weeds and the wheat, Jesus then tells two more parables about the kingdom of heaven.

He said, the kingdom of heaven like a tiny mustard seed that grows into a large bush. He said, it’s like a little yeast that leavens a whole loaf of bread. These are hopeful images. God’s kingdom isn’t static. It begins in many small ways and then grows and grows.

Each of us has a part to play in helping grow God's Kingdom! With every prayer, with every act of faith, with every good deed, with every Rosary, with every hour spent before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in Adoration, you will build the kingdom of heaven on earth.

Making time for prayer, reaching out to someone in need, helping the poor, speaking up in defense of life—in these ways and more, you can participate in growing God’s kingdom. Yes, they can seem like small things. But so are the mustard seeds and the little pinch of yeast. And so fields of amber grain grows into a mighty wave to be harvested.

So don’t get discouraged by the evil you see on television or the internet or in the newspaper and don’t give up hope. Believe that your small acts of faithfulness really do make a difference. And taken together with other believers, they become a mighty force in choking out the weeds of this world. By our holy life we lived during our time on earth, we will produce great fruit in God’s kingdom. But those who do evil and unrepentant, who are the weeds of this world and who did not love God nor will neighbor be cast into the fiery furnace to suffer the eternal fire of hell.

Let us turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the great woman of faith and ask our heavenly Mother to help us to grow in our faith, to live out our faith, and plant our faith in the world, so that the Kingdom of Her Son, will come on earth as it is in heaven.

15th Sunday, Parable about the Parable of the Sower

 

Imagine the day Jesus taught the Parable of the Sower. The people were accustomed to Jesus teaching in parables about the kingdom of God because Jesus gave most of his teaching about the kingdom in parables. They would automatically compare themselves to the characters in the parable and see whom in the parable they were like. Everyone knew some seeds do not sprout, while some seeds produce a good crop. But what did Jesus mean by the Parable of the Sower?

Jesus Himself was sowing seed-while teaching about the kingdom of God. Some didn’t take His message and His words to heart and produced no fruit.

Others took His message to heart for some time, and then gave up and so produced only a little fruit. And some took His message to heart and produced an abundance of fruit.

Why is it some produce fruit for God's kingdom and others apparently not? Maybe it’s best to give a parable about the parable of the seed and the Sower.

There was once a farmer with four boys. The father wanted to increase the value of the ranch. They had all discussed whether to build a new larger barn, or to add onto the existing barn, or to tear down the barn and use the land to grow corn.

They could not come to an agreement, so the father, as head of the family, decided to make a decision. He decided it would be best to build a new barn. The father set out and with the help of his friends and neighbors completed the new barn.

But oldest son refused to help. He thought it would be best to build a granary instead, and then build the new barn. Even though many neighbors, and those in the community helped the farmer to build the barn donating their time and supplies for its completion, the oldest boy continued to complain after it was completed. He told his friends, “Look at that mansion my father built. What a waste of money. The money would have better spent on building a granary. If we would have built the granary first, we could have made more money before we built the barn.” The oldest boy was completely blind to the love and charity of the neighbors. He failed to see how the new barn brought together so many good-hearted people, as they worked for a common purpose. His constant complaining even after the barn was completed, became a source of division and caused some to become unhappy. The oldest boy is like the one in parable, whom the evil one came and stole away the love that was sown in his heart.

The second oldest boy began to help build the barn. But when his older brother complained and persecuted him, he stopped working and let the volunteers do the work. He wanted to tear down the barn and to grow corn on the soil. After it was built, he too complained and was blind to the charity of all the volunteers. He is like the one, who fell away when tribulation and persecution came.

The third son also agreed to help build the barn at first. That is, until he began to worry about the bills. He thought it would be best to sell the entire farm and take the money to buy himself a new home, a new car, and to travel the world. He is like the one in the parable of the Sower who hears the Word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and so he bears no fruit.

The youngest son heard what his father had to say and did not question it. He trusted his father and decided to work on the barn with the workers and volunteers. He saw how many donated their time and talent, and treasure and even came in the evenings after getting off of their regular jobs, to help build his father’s new barn.

Because he saw the many who donated their time, talent and treasure, such as lumber, the paint, the lighting fixtures, the glass for the windows, and the trucks to carry the wood, his heart was touched and never once complained.

He decided to talk to his brothers to help them see what a remarkable thing which had occurred because of building the new barn. He gathered his brothers together and said, “Look, I’m the youngest of us brothers and my words don’t amount to much, because I am so young. But listen. Let me explain what has happened. You know the farmer across the road, who never would let us borrow his snow plow in the winter. He and his family came to help build father’s new barn. You should have seen how many people came to help. They worked hard all day at their regular jobs and then came to build the barn even to the late hours of night. Some donated wood, others glass for the windows, some even helped dig the hole to lay the foundation. And the ladies, they cleaned the new bar and cooked dinner for us each day.”

And what’s even most amazing; we all had fun and laughed together. Perhaps it was because we prayed together before we began to work each day. We all became one like one family, who loves each other no matter what. “Brothers, I ask you to see Jesus in your neighbor, and see the good hearts which built such a fine barn. Please come next week to see the barn and celebrate with us. Father is having a banquet. Why complain any longer, for the barn is now built, complaining can do no good, but cause dissension. Father says he forgives you and loves you and wants you to celebrate with us. Let us all be one happy family united together in love. For God is good-- and through many people---, He has done something truly marvelous.”

The three older brothers were astonished at their little brother’s words. When he spoke, he seemed to be sowing love within their hearts. And so they turned to him, and said, “My little brother, we are sorry, for it is true, it does no good to complain about something that has already been completed. Thank you for loving us enough to help us see what God has done in the hearts of so many good people. We will be there at the banquet as one family in joy and in unity.”

The youngest boy is like the one in the parable of the Sower, whom the seed fell on rich soil and who bore much fruit.

May our hearts be open to bear good fruit cultivated by love for God and neighbor. And may the Virgin Mary protect us from the enemy who wants to steal our joy, help us to persevere through persecution, turn away from worldly enticements, and rather than worrying trust in God's plan for us.

14th Sunday - America's 250 Years

 

 This weekend we are celebrating our country's 250th birthday, when our founders declared their independence from Great Britain.

There were 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence. They were courageous because they knew if their name appeared on it, England would consider it an act of treason and they risked death or imprisonment.

But, they wanted to give the men, women and children of our new country something England nor any other country had ever given before, freedom. Because of these 56 men, our country was the first country in the world to to declare that all men are created equal and has God given unalienable rights, of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Did you know why John Henry Hancock signed his name so large on the declaration of Independence? He wanted the King of England to see his name without putting on his eyeglasses. He wanted to the king to know, that he was ready to defend what he signed, which stated, "And for the support of this declaration with a firm reliance of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor."

These men trusted God in His divine providence will help bring about the birth of our nation.

The founders of our country wanted Freedom to live without tyranny. Freedom to bear arms. Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. They would no longer kneel before the King of England, but rather kneel before the King of Heaven and earth.

The statue of Liberty is a sign of hope for the millions of people who came to our country seeking freedom and it is the hope of the world who longs for what we have. The image of the Statue of Liberty on its base declares: "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" These words move us to serve those who legally come desiring the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our rights are not given to us by the government, but are God given rights. No government has the power or the right to take them away.

In our country every citizen is treated equal, but it has taken years for us to understand it. For example, it took years and the civil war to end to slavery, but God helped us root it out.

Today, we need God's help so that all Americans respect life from the moment we are created in our mother's womb. Unborn downs-syndrome children and many other children do not yet have the legal right to live. But, we as a nation must stand against this evil just as we stood against slavery. The citizens in the US are the most generous in the world. But, we need to open our hearts ever wider to provide for the needs of unexpected single mothers, end abortion in our country and protect the elderly from euthanasia.

We currently have enemies in our own country, who are Marxists, communists and socialists. Our enemies want to burn our flag. They want to take away our right to bear arms. They want to change our constitution. They want to burn our cities. They want to take away our freedom.

Our greatest enemy today is communism. It is the enemy of freedom. It is the enemy of religious freedom. Communism opposes life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They don't love God, they don't want religion and are atheists. They want to take away our land and property. They have no respect for laws.

But despite our differences, we love our fellow Americans and want them to enjoy a life of peace and freedom, but we need to win them over by love, through prayer, convincing arguments and our good example.

Fr. Kapaun and many American soldiers stood up against communism and died for freedom. Saints, blesseds, servants of God fought for our country and by their example show us how to live the way God desires of us. Bishop Fulton Sheen who will be beatified in September gave many homilies warning against the evil of communism. Today, we must fight communism and stand up for democracy.

On August 4th in our state of Kansas we have the opportunity to vote for democracy. Currently lawyers appoint our Kansas Supreme Court, but we want the people of Kansas to vote for them. I encourage you to vote Yes on August 4th. President Thomas Jefferson acknowledged that his "best ideas of democracy" had been secured at church meetings. He said, "Democracy is Christ's government in church and state." 

Have you ever heard the story about the presidential election of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. They were friends who both signed the Declaration of Independence. But when Thomas Jefferson won and John Adams lost, the presidential election, he became angry and would not speak to Jefferson for years. However, after many years John Adams began to write to Thomas Jefferson and he would write back. They renewed their friendship. Amazingly, 50 years after both signed the Declaration of Independence, they both died on the same day, July 4th, 1826, just hours apart. This goes to show that we must protect our selves from the enemy who wants to sow division. We must be friends with others and at times in charity mutually disagree with them.

Millions of Americans have died protecting our freedoms. We need to stand up for them. And even die for them if necessary, so that future generations will have what we have. We want to pass on the gifts that God has given to us.
Explorers crossed oceans, they climbed mountains, went through deserts. In the USA, we are the land of opportunity. We have freedom of speech. We dream big and are free to make our ideas and dreams come true. If we are poor, we the opportunity to go to college, to become an athlete, to start a business.

Americans invented the light bulb, the airplane and the Internet, the refrigerator, telephone, electricity, nuclear energy by the splitting of atoms, MRI, Cat Scans, PET scans, polio vaccines, penicillin, I-phones, microwaves, personal computers, traffic lights, lasers, & chemotherapy. We have the most Olympic medals. And the modern organized Catholic school system was developed in the USA.

How is it we can invent all these things, and do all these great things for humanity? One word, GOD, the giver of every good gift. God uses us to help others, to create things for society. And we must acknowledge all these are from God and by God, otherwise, we can become proud and take credit for what God, the author of all good, has done.

In the Gospel today, Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.”

Jesus wants us to have a meek and humble heart, like His. We are to avoid pride, and live the virtue of humility.

Out of humility, we must declare that gifts God has given to our nation are gifts from God, our creator. We should thank God every day for all He has given us. We should thank God for our beautiful land, spacious skies and prosperous people. We should thank God for those who stood up to defend our country and those died for our country.

Out of humility, we come to serve, rather than be served. We want to help our fellow Americans. We want other nations to have what we have, God given freedom.

Due to the World Cup soccer, thousands of Europeans have come to our country. They are shocked at how loving, kind and generous we are. They say, that their news media portray us as wicked, evil, prideful, uncaring and selfish. Europeans were surprised when complete strangers told them hello. One man said, "Everyone here smiles." He said, "I can only remember three times that my mother ever smiled at me." The man said, "In my country the news media lie to us. But, we have seen for ourselves what Americans are really like."

The truth is most Americans are hospitable. Most of us generally want what's best for others. Most Americans are good people and will help others if they can.

However, there are people in the US, who abuse their freedom to hurt others. Pope John Saint Paul II said, "Freedom is not the right to do whatever we want. Rather, freedom is the ability to live responsibly the truth of our relationship with God and with one another.”

No one has the right to trample on the rights of others. That is not freedom.

Today, we want to live out our nation's ideals, to believe and proclaim to our fellow Americans and the world, that "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights.., the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. "

My friends, let us humble ourselves and give God all the credit for what He has done for our great nation. And let us be ready to defend her freedoms, even to lay down our life, if necessary, and continue to ask God to bless our good ole USA.