For 26 July 2025, The Memorial of Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, based on Matthew 13:24-30
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.
Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” The word of the Lord.
The parable we have just read is a short rendering of the history of mankind. It starts with sowing (creation) and ends with harvest (the end of time). Good seed was sown in God’s field as the book of Genesis tells us: “God created humankind in his image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good” (Gen 1, 27.31). God gave us humans dominion over all the earth, and he gave us one command: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over every living thing that moves upon the earth” (Gen 1, 28). God gave dominion to humankind, for he wanted them to be co-workers with him. But man wanted power, he wanted to command and not to obey. Man thought that God was all powerful and he could do whatever he wanted to. God’s power comes from his love, and he could only do what his love inspired him to. So he shared his love with us and made us his beloved children.
We know the rest of the story because we are living it. Believing that they can be free without God, humans invented a multitude of other gods made in their likeness. Instead of following the true God who is powerful because of his love many abandoned God. However, man cannot live without a God, so he creates false gods, and they usurp power and they loose love, love of God and love of man. God sowed wheat, food and man sowed enmity, and death. God wanted mankind to be his friends so as to work hand in hand with him. Many abandoned God and thought that they would be free. But the gods humans create do not have true love, they bring anger, injustice, corruption, death.
I do not want to be negative in the sense that I do not see the good seed God sowed, living together with the weed Satan is planting, for as God himself said: “I do not want the death of sinners, but that they change their ways and live”. That is why he became God incarnate so as to have us share in his divinity.
Today we celebrate the memorial of Saint Anne and Saint Joachim parents of the blessed Virgin Mary. This memorial reminds us of the wheat, the kind of good seed God sowed and is still sowing in our world, in our days. There are still many good people among us, saints also!
Of course Satan is sowing his seed, his weed, many bad people who think they are leaders. They aren’t! They start wars. They sow hate. They kill people, innocent ones, children in schools, in hospitals, and while waiting to have some food. Many are dying of hunger. These are the weeds Satan sows and there are many who follow them, and believe their lies.
At the end of chapter 12, Just a few paragraphs before today’s selection Matthew tells us that: “ While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mt 12, 48-50). Jesus is here telling us that blood relations are not enough in order for us to be his disciples. During the marriage feast at Cana, Mary, his mother, told the servants: “Do whatever my Son tells you”. That’s how good things are done! She was more a disciple than a mother for Christ, St Augustine tells us. Mary as Christ’s mother is God’s choice. Mary as a true disciple is her choice.
Meditating on today’s parable, let us ask ourselves: “Who is my mother, who are my brothers and sisters?” Are we the good seed God sowed in our world with the mission to “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth?” Let us not be cheated by the lies God’s enemies sow using all the means available. Christ lamented that “the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light” (Lk 16, 8). Let us be wise, then, for we have to live together, wheat and weeds, sheep among wolves, until harvest comes.
Scripture passage from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
About Costantino Mamo, OP
Cost is a friar of the province of Malta and is currently serving as a missionary in Durrës, Albania. More information can be found at his homepage at http://costmamo.blogspot.com/.
26 Jul 2025
3 CommentsWho is My Mother?
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A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.
Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” The word of the Lord.
The parable we have just read is a short rendering of the history of mankind. It starts with sowing (creation) and ends with harvest (the end of time). Good seed was sown in God’s field as the book of Genesis tells us: “God created humankind in his image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good” (Gen 1, 27.31). God gave us humans dominion over all the earth, and he gave us one command: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over every living thing that moves upon the earth” (Gen 1, 28). God gave dominion to humankind, for he wanted them to be co-workers with him. But man wanted power, he wanted to command and not to obey. Man thought that God was all powerful and he could do whatever he wanted to. God’s power comes from his love, and he could only do what his love inspired him to. So he shared his love with us and made us his beloved children.
We know the rest of the story because we are living it. Believing that they can be free without God, humans invented a multitude of other gods made in their likeness. Instead of following the true God who is powerful because of his love many abandoned God. However, man cannot live without a God, so he creates false gods, and they usurp power and they loose love, love of God and love of man. God sowed wheat, food and man sowed enmity, and death. God wanted mankind to be his friends so as to work hand in hand with him. Many abandoned God and thought that they would be free. But the gods humans create do not have true love, they bring anger, injustice, corruption, death.
I do not want to be negative in the sense that I do not see the good seed God sowed, living together with the weed Satan is planting, for as God himself said: “I do not want the death of sinners, but that they change their ways and live”. That is why he became God incarnate so as to have us share in his divinity.
Today we celebrate the memorial of Saint Anne and Saint Joachim parents of the blessed Virgin Mary. This memorial reminds us of the wheat, the kind of good seed God sowed and is still sowing in our world, in our days. There are still many good people among us, saints also!
Of course Satan is sowing his seed, his weed, many bad people who think they are leaders. They aren’t! They start wars. They sow hate. They kill people, innocent ones, children in schools, in hospitals, and while waiting to have some food. Many are dying of hunger. These are the weeds Satan sows and there are many who follow them, and believe their lies.
At the end of chapter 12, Just a few paragraphs before today’s selection Matthew tells us that: “ While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mt 12, 48-50). Jesus is here telling us that blood relations are not enough in order for us to be his disciples. During the marriage feast at Cana, Mary, his mother, told the servants: “Do whatever my Son tells you”. That’s how good things are done! She was more a disciple than a mother for Christ, St Augustine tells us. Mary as Christ’s mother is God’s choice. Mary as a true disciple is her choice.
Meditating on today’s parable, let us ask ourselves: “Who is my mother, who are my brothers and sisters?” Are we the good seed God sowed in our world with the mission to “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth?” Let us not be cheated by the lies God’s enemies sow using all the means available. Christ lamented that “the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light” (Lk 16, 8). Let us be wise, then, for we have to live together, wheat and weeds, sheep among wolves, until harvest comes.
Scripture passage from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
About Costantino Mamo, OP
Cost is a friar of the province of Malta and is currently serving as a missionary in Durrës, Albania. More information can be found at his homepage at http://costmamo.blogspot.com/.