July 26, 2025 Saturday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Daily Readings: Exodus 24:3–8; Matthew 13:24–30
Moses receives the words and ordinances of the Lord and faithfully conveys them to the people of Israel. Their response is swift and profound: they agree to abide by everything the Lord has said. Moses then writes it all down God’s covenant sealed not just in words, but in sacred ritual. An altar is built, offerings are made, and blood is sprinkled symbolizing the blood of the covenant between God and His people.
This act of sprinkling blood echoes the first Passover, where blood on the doorposts marked the houses of the faithful and saved their firstborns. The people once again affirm their allegiance to the Lord: “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient” (Exodus 24:7). This obedient response becomes a central moment in salvation history and is reflected in today’s liturgy as a reminder of the sacredness of covenant and faithfulness to God’s Word.
In the Gospel, Jesus shares the parable of the wheat and the weeds, confronting one of the most troubling questions of our time: Why does God allow evil to coexist with good? The answer lies in the generosity and patience of God. While human instinct demands swift justice, God offers time for conversion, time for repentance.
This patience, however, is not approval. The parable reminds us that the harvest the time of judgment—will surely come, when the righteous and the wicked will be separated. This divine tolerance doesn’t undermine justice it magnifies mercy. Until that appointed time, good and evil must coexist. But we are called to remain faithful, not be discouraged, and to trust in the Lord’s ultimate justice.
Today is also the Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandparents of Jesus. They remind us of the importance of the elderly in family life, particularly in the digital age, where many seniors are forgotten or left in care homes. Tradition holds that Joachim and Anne played a significant role in Mary’s formation and perhaps in the early upbringing of Jesus Himself.
Their example invites us to respect, honor, and cherish our elders, valuing their wisdom and silent sacrifices.
Call to Action: Keeping evil at bay demands vigilant human effort, rooted in obedience to God and supported by His grace. Let us renew our commitment to walk faithfully in the covenant, trusting that good will ultimately triumph, and valuing the presence and wisdom of the elders among us.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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