“Another parable he proposed to them, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man that sowed good seed in his field. But while men were asleep, his enemy came and oversowed cockle among the wheat and went his way. And when the blade was sprung up, and had brought forth fruit, then appeared also the cockle. And the servants of the goodman of the house coming said to him: ‘Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? Whence then hath it cockle?’ And he said to them: ‘An enemy hath done this.’ And the servants said to him: ‘Wilt thou that we go and gather it up?’ And he said: ‘No, lest perhaps gathering up the cockle, you root up the wheat also together with it. Suffer both to grow until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers: ‘Gather up first the cockle, and bind it into bundles to burn, but the wheat gather ye into my barn.’’’”
This parable is a look into the wiles of the devil, who corrupts beautiful fields, which are souls, with error, which is a corrupting seed. This he does through a warped imitation, for he is not original and cannot create, but can only take what is and attempt to corrupt it. Because he sees seed taking root and not being suffocated by worldly desires, he turns to deception, putting mud in the spring, or bad seeds in the garden, which embitters the heart: “Doth a fountain send forth, out of the same hole, sweet and bitter water?” (James 3:11). Weeds bear a resemblance to fruit-bearing plants, but in the end only ruin the garden’s beauty and take from that which is fruitful, keeping the heart far from the love of God. While this can refer to Catholics that lead evil lives, scandalizing others, or non-Catholic traditions that bear the name of Christian, but pull people from the sacramental graces necessary for a life of love: “They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have remained with us; but that they may be manifest, that they are not all of us” (1 John 2:19), due to the fact that this parable falls after the exposition of the good ground, the focus here will be a look into the growth of one’s spirituality and the discernment of what is beneficial and what is detrimental. Because “The justices of the Lord are right, rejoicing hearts” and are “More to be desired than gold and many precious stones: and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb” (Psalm 18:9-11), it is of great importance to let yourself be loved by Jesus first of all: “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me” (John 15:4), and take the corrections of Scripture or in homilies as delights, pieces of gold that will make your soul more beautiful, as a bride receives gifts from her beloved: “[Wisdom’s] ways are beautiful ways, and all her paths are peaceable. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her: and he that shall retain her is blessed” (Proverbs 3:17-18). That which is bitter must be explored to be properly understood, that you may know the love with which it comes, for “Whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth: and as a father in the son he pleaseth himself” (Proverbs 3:12), and if your mind is colored with a harsh view of God, the commandments will be a heavy burden. There are many spiritual writers who, God bless them, paint either the Father or Jesus as a strict judge, almost looking forward to condemning those who go astray, with Jesus having to calm the Father or Mary calm Jesus to turn their hearts to their people. Scripture, however, refutes this: “For the Father himself loveth you” (John 16:27); “As the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you” (John 15:9). Without a fatherly image of the Father, or a true understanding of Jesus, the enemy can sow seeds of bitterness in the heart, which one will see to be falsehood when the beautiful fruits of love and truth grow alongside them: “The flowers have appeared in our land, the time of pruning is come” (Canticle 2:12). In this place, one can go to the Lord, asking what happened, and He replies, “An enemy did this,” for the enemy looks at the weak points of the garden walls, seeking what is weakened, and attacks it, that he may break in and ruin the garden’s beauty: “As with axes in a wood of trees, they have cut down at once the gates thereof, with axe and hatchet they have brought it down” (Psalm 73:5-6). You are made to be radiant with love, with a spiritual beauty that is palpable: “And immediately has he smelled the fragrant smell of his garments, blessing him, he said: ‘Behold the smell of my son is as the smell of a plentiful field, which the Lord hath blessed’” (Genesis 27:27). This leads to one aside, there is in the Trinity the utmost harmony, due to the utmost love, and you are called to be an image of this Trinitarian love: “And God created man to his own image” (Genesis 1:27), your heart an instrument on which melodies of the same love are played: “My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready: I will sing, and rehearse a psalm. Arise, O my glory, arise psaltery and harp” (Psalm 56:8-9), and it is the harmony of love, towards God, yourself, and others, that will bring your heart into a settled place. Now, when you notice an infection, either in yourself or in someone else, it is in prayerful and gentle correction that remedies can be hoped for, for Jesus heals these maladies with His love: “And he coming forth saw a great multitude, and had compassion on them, and healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14). In letting yourself be loved by Jesus, Mary, and the saints, they will come and walk through your garden, gently plucking up what needs to be set aside, and throwing it into the fire of God’s merciful love: “My vineyard is before me. A thousand are for thee, the peaceable, and two hundred for them that keep the fruit thereof” (Canticle 8:12), for God knows what is best for you, that you may be at peace in His presence: “Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them: ‘Peace be to you’” (John 20:19). Thus, you consider God in Himself in meditating on Jesus’ life, which is mental prayer, letting yourself be swept up in the winds of affection rather than in many words: “Then the Lord answered Job out of a whirlwind, and said: ‘Who is this that wrappeth up sentences in unskilful words?’” (Job 38:1), clinging to your Beloved rather than the sayings of others, no matter how saintly: “Who is this that cometh up from the desert, flowing with delights, leaning upon her beloved?” (Canticle 8:5), for Scripture moves up and down with your life: “And when the living creatures” which represent the gospels, “went, the wheels” which represent the rest of the Scriptures, “also went together by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels also were lifted up with them” (Ezechiel 1:19), whereas the writings of saints may be intended for audiences that do not include you. The final note is that the bundles being cast into the fire obviously represent the judgment of those that did not love Jesus and others in their life: “He that loveth not, knoweth not God: for God is love” (1 John 4:8), which you need not fear if you love, for “Fear is not in love: but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath pain” (1 John 4:18).