July 19, 2026 – 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

+ From the Gospel according to Matthew (13:24-43)

Jesus put another parable before the crowds, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. The servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where did these weeds come from?’ He answered them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ “No,” he replied, “lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, ‘Gather together the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
He put another parable before them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour until it was all leavened.” All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables; and without parables he did not speak to them, so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:
“I will open my mouth in parables;
I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”

Then he dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He answered, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed are the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons 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. Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and 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. He who has ears, let him hear!

Word of the Lord.