Sixteenth Sunday Homily in Ordinary Time Year A

1st Reading – Wisdom 12:13, 16-19

¹³ For neither is there any other God but you, who has care of all, to whom you would show that you did not give judgment unjustly.

¹⁶ For your power is the beginning of justice, and, because you are Lord of all, you make yourself to be lenient to all.

¹⁷ For you reveal power to those who do not believe you to be perfect in power, and you expose the arrogance of those who do not know you.

¹⁸ Yet, you are the master of power, since you judge with tranquility, and since you administer us with great reverence; for it is close to you to be used whenever you will.

¹⁹ But you have taught your people, through such works, that they must be just and humane, and you have made your sons to be of good hope, because in judging you provide a place for repentance from sins.

Responsorial Psalm – Psalms 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16

R. (5a) Lord, you are good and forgiving.

⁵ You, O LORD, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
⁶ Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Lord, you are good and forgiving.

⁹ All the nations you have made shall come
and worship you, O LORD,
and glorify your name.
¹⁰ For you are great, and you do wondrous deeds;
you alone are God.
R. Lord, you are good and forgiving.

¹⁵ You, O LORD, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in kindness and fidelity.
¹⁶ Turn toward me, and have pity on me;
give your strength to your servant.
R. Lord, you are good and forgiving.

2nd Reading – Romans 8:26-27

²⁶ Brothers and sisters: The Spirit also helps our weakness. For we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself asks on our behalf with ineffable sighing.

²⁷ And he who examines hearts knows what the Spirit seeks, because he asks on behalf of the saints in accordance with God.

Alleluia – CF. Matthew 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
²⁵ Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – Matthew 13:24-43

²⁴ Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field.

²⁵ While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.

²⁶ When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.

²⁷ The slaves of the householder came to him and said, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’

²⁸ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

²⁹ He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them.

³⁰ Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.”‘”

³¹ He proposed another parable to them. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field.

³² It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”

³³ He spoke to them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.”

³⁴ All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables,

³⁵ to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation
of the world.

³⁶ Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

³⁷ He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,

³⁸ the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one,

³⁹ and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

⁴⁰ Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.

⁴¹ The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.

⁴² They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”