He answered them, ‘This is the work of an enemy.’ They asked him, Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?’ He told them, ‘No, when you pull up the weeds, you might uproot the wheat with them. Let them grow together, until harvest; and, at harvest time, I will say to the workers: Pull up the weeds first, tie them in bundles and burn them; then gather the wheat into my barn.’”
      Jesus offered them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.
     It is smaller than all other seeds, but once it is fully grown, it is bigger than any garden plant; like a tree, the birds come and rest in its branches.”
     He told them another parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast that a woman took, and hid in three measures of flour, until the whole mass of dough began to rise.”
     Jesus taught all these things to the crowds by means of parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. This fulfilled what was spoken by the Prophet: I will speak in parables. I will proclaim things kept secret since the beginning of the world.
Then he sent the crowds away and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” Jesus answered them, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed are the people of the kingdom; the weeds are those who follow the evil one. The enemy who sows the weeds is the devil; the harvest is the end of time, and the workers are the angels.
     Just as the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom all that is scandalous and all who do evil. And these will be thrown into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the just will shine, like the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. If you have ears, then hear.

REFLECTION:
Read: Our God is a god of mercy, strength, justice, prudence, and patience. In our moments of wordless grief, the Spirit of God within us intercedes for us. Jesus captures the various perfections of God through the parables of the Kingdom.
Reflect: We are often embarrassed and distraught by the evil we find within ourselves. The good and the bad seem to coexist within us and we despair. We then try to hide the bad, deny it, or try violently to annihilate it. Perhaps we need to be compassionate to ourselves: let us accept ourselves with the good and the bad within us. It will help us open ourselves without reservation or shame before God whose grace will work like yeast and transform us in the fullness of time. It will also help us be compassionate and less judgmental towards others.
Pray: Sit before God and let the Spirit within you intercede for you.
Act: Take a leisurely walk. Be at peace. Refuse to worry. God is in charge.