“When it is full they haul it ashore
Matthew 13:48
and sit down to put what is good into buckets.
What is bad they throw away.”
Reflection
Jesus compares the Kingdom of heaven to a net cast into the sea. It collects fish of every kind, and when it is drawn ashore, the bad fish are thrown away, while the good are put into buckets. It will be the same at the end of the age when the angels separate the wicked from the righteous.
Jesus intends to collect both the good and the bad at the end of time, and from there separate everyone to their respective places for eternity. This should give us hope, because we are all sinners and do not deserve God’s mercy, yet he gives it to us. However, we must begin now to amend our ways and seek repentance, not waiting until the last possible moment.
As sinners, we are all the “bad fish” at one time or another. We fall away from Christ and stray from the path of holiness. Yet it is always possible to return, when we truly repent and ask for God to bring us back. This doesn’t mean it will be easy, but he will lead us to himself in the most perfect way. Reflect on how Christ is calling you to be righteous and upright, following his commands and living a life worthy of God.
Saint of the Day
St. Peter Chrysologus: ca. AD 406 – 450
| “O man, why do you think so little of yourself when God thinks so highly of you? Why dishonor yourself when God so honors you? Why be so concerned with the stuff from which you are made and so little with the purpose for which you are made?” St. Peter Chrysologus |
The Healing Word 