Thursday 31 July 2025 - The end of the age

Thursday 31 July 2025

Today is Thursday the 31st of July, the feast of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, in the 17th week of Ordinary Time. The monks of Glenstal Abbey sing Ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est. Wherever love is true, God is there. Ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est. Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor. Exsultemus, et in ipso jucundemur. Timeamus, et amemus Deum vivum. Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero. Ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est. Simul ergo cum in unum congregamur: Ne nos mente dividamur, caveamus. Cessent iurgia maligna, cessent lites. Et in medio nostri sit Christus Deus. Ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est. Simul quoque cum beatis videamus, Glorianter vultum tuum, Christe Deus: Gaudium quod est immensum, atque probum, Saecula per infinita saeculorum. Amen. Where love is true, God is there. Love of Christ has gathered us into one. Let us rejoice in Him and be glad. Let us fear, and let us love the living God. And from a sincere heart let us love one. Where love is true, God is there. At the same time, therefore, are gathered into one: Lest we be divided in mind, let us beware. Let evil impulses stop, let controversy cease. And in the midst of us be Christ our God. Where love is true, God is there. At the same time we see that with the saints also, Thy face in glory, O Christ our God: The joy that is immense and good, Unto the World without end. Amen. Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 13:47-53 ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ‘Have you understood all this?’ They answered, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.’ When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place. Once again, we hear Jesus speaking in parables, using language familiar to an audience that included people who fished for a living. His parable is about judgement. We may feel uncomfortable thinking about being judged, but this parable is both challenge and invitation to us to take stock of our lives and our choices. Today is the feast of St. Ignatius. In his Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius asks us to consider what we would wish to have done with our lives if we knew that today was the last day of our life. How would you answer that question? Peter the fisherman’s initial response to Jesus was an admission of his sins. Yet Jesus called and chose him repeatedly, despite every one of Peter’s weaknesses. As we hear the parable again, is there any admission you wish to make, or any invitation that you can hear Jesus make to you? Matthew 13:47-53 ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ‘Have you understood all this?’ They answered, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.’ When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place. Jesus speaks of his disciples bringing out from their storeroom new things as well as old. How does this refer to you? Take time to speak to God about your reflections on this parable. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen