Matthew 13:47-53 NRSVue

⁴⁷“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; ⁴⁸when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. ⁴⁹So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous ⁵⁰and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

⁵¹“Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” ⁵²And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” ⁵³When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place.

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Reflection on Matthew 13:47-53

Inspiration from 2025-07-31 Daily Prayer

God waits with infinite patience and love to the end of our lives before we have the first judgement which follows upon death. He allows the sun to shine and the rain to fall on the just and the unjust. We are all given the gift of choosing the good or the bad, but there will always be consequences. We pray for a true discernment of God’s will for us and of what the right way to live is.

Further reflection

*A Prayer of Saint Ignatius Loyola* Take Lord, and receive, my memory, my understanding, my entire will. All that I am, all that I have are you gift to me. I now return them to you. Give me only your love and your grace, with these I am rich enough, and desire no more.

There's a mixture of good and bad in all of us. The church is a mixture of good and bad also. We simply pray to respond to goodness in our desires and in our activities, and ask the forgiveness and help of Jesus where we fail.

Many parables show us that the kingdom of heaven involves both good and bad mixed together. I pray for the patience and tolerance that I need to live with those who differ from me.

I pray that I might be like the scribe that Jesus mentions, able to employ all my resources to their best end.