Daily Gospel Reflection for July 23, 2023

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Many years ago, I had a front garden bed full of liriope, a variegated ground plant similar to a spider plant. All was well until our enthusiastic landscapers sprayed grass seed into the beds. Within a few months, my lovely liriope was inundated with grass poking up and through its stems, ruining the beauty of the plant. There was no easy solution. Not wanting to rip out both the grass and the lovely liriope together, I had to let the grass grow tall enough that it could be easily gripped and pulled out. I then spent many Saturdays on my hands and knees carefully removing blades of grass by the roots, one at a time.

Being in a season of young motherhood, I loved the quiet repetition and completion of this task along with the opportunity to reflect on the mystery of today’s Gospel. The enemy does indeed sow weeds among the wheat, not just in our world but in our hearts. It is easy to feel confused when evil is allowed to persist both in and out of our homes. We want God to swoop in and save the day, to rip out all the weeds and make it better. I am so grateful for God’s grace, patience, and wisdom to see and know what I can’t. He gives weeds the gift of time to allow for conversion and healing, and when something indeed needs to be removed from our hearts, He kneels so close and carefully pulls out the weed, one blade at a time, so our goodness and beauty is preserved. When we struggle with how the enemy hurts us through other people in our lives, we can remember that God may allow their weeds to persist in hopes that they experience conversion and healing as well.

Ponder:

How can I offer more of God's grace and healing to the weeds God has allowed to remain in my heart and life?

Pray:

Jesus, help me to be merciful, kind, and gentle with myself and others when faced with the ugliness or evil of weeds that bring hurt and confusion.

Click to tweet:
When something indeed needs to be removed from our hearts, God kneels so close and carefully pulls out the weed, one blade at a time, so our goodness and beauty is preserved. #DailyGospel

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