Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Also Read: Mass Readings for 19 July 2026
First Reading: Wisdom 12: 13, 16-19
Royal Protocol!
For your strength is the source of righteousness, and your sovereignty over all causes you to spare all. (16)
Although you are sovereign in strength, you judge with mildness, and with great forbearance you govern us; for you have power to act whenever you choose. (18)
The reading today teaches us the principles of sovereignty or a King’s code of conduct! We know God is the King of all Kings, and he teaches us by His example! God teaches us through His works that the righteous must be kind! (19) God has the power to discipline his children as he wishes, but he chooses to remain kind!
How do we rule in our little kingdoms? What is our code of conduct when we are in authority? Let us exercise our sovereignty like our Abba Father in heaven! Let us dispense kindness and not judgments! Let us remind ourselves of the crown on our heads and the cloak of divine royalty on our shoulders!
Through Jesus Christ we are partakers of God’s royalty, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 86: 5-6, 9-10, 15-16
But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant; save the child of your serving girl. (15-16)
Amen, Alleluia!
Second Reading: Romans 8: 26-27
Royal Aide!
Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
To follow His Royal Protocol, the Lord has given us His Royal Aide – The Holy Spirit! We praise and thank God for his boundless mercies on us! Is 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you, I will help you, and I will uphold you with my victorious right arm!” The Lord God grants us his help with his victorious right arm! When we turn our spirit to the Lord, he helps us in our soul! When we are ambushed and don’t seem to be able to raise a prayer for help, we must guide our spirit to seek the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and spirit. The Holy Spirit can understand our muffled groans and submit our petition to the Lord God Almighty! When we strive to function as legal heirs, the Lord fortifies our soul and spirit!
We shall remain victorious in the name of Jesus, Amen!
Alleluia: Matthew 11: 25
Alleluia, Alleluia! At that time, Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 13: 24-43
Heirs of Nobility!
Jesus answered them, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen! (37-43)
Jesus explains his parables to his disciples and concludes with … “Let anyone with ears listen!” We ask the Lord to grant us the ears that can listen! Ears are directly connected to the heart! Bible scholars tell us that spiritual deafness grows mainly through three sources – The world and its attractions, one’s pride and prejudice, and a notion of subjective truth!
The word of God is bread of life for our souls! (Mat 4:4) We reflect today if we willfully self-inflict this spiritual hearing impairment! How do we succumb to disordered worldly desires and fears? How receptive are we to the word of God and live by it? Why do we allow ‘subjective truths’ to deceive us? Is the weed-sower trying to germinate lies in our souls? If we “listen,” we ought to keep His word! (John 14:23–24 and 1 John 2:3–5) Jesus has clearly stated that the one who “hears” the word has a greater responsibility to fulfill the commandments therein! Hence, it is through our choice of actions and words that we bear witness to our Father!
May the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13, 15:26), our Advocate, lead us on! In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Happy Sunday, Everyone!
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