Seventeenth Thursday of Ordinary Time

The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away.

The net of the gospel and its commandments is all around us. There is no escape and we should not be looking for one. Instead, we should look at the commandments of God as leading us to a greater purpose. They help us to conform ourselves to the gospel. They keep us away from the sin. If we live lives that are good and holy, then in the end we will end up in Heaven with our Lord and God. If we seek only worldly things and sin without remorse, then we shall be tossed away. These are our only choices in this life: to be good and saved through the aid of the Holy Spirit or to be evil and damned through a snares of the Devil. There is no middle ground. And refusing to make this choice is a choice all the same.

Are we the good fish or the bad? Do we conform our lives to the gospel’s message or deny it? Do we live our lives as if we will be caught up in the net of Kingdom of Heaven at any time or think ourselves invincible?

O Lord, draw us to you and help us to be good and faithful servants.

Amen.