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The first reading is from one of the Deutero-canonical books (from the second canon, those books accepted by the Catholic Church as belonging to the Old Testament). The book of Wisdom is attributed to Solomon, although it was written many centuries after he lived, and develops philosophical themes in the Hebrew Wisdom tradition. Today's extract is from a passage dealing with God's love and mercy. Here we learn that God is just and merciful because he is mighty and master of his might. God treats his enemies with justice and teaches his children to deal with others justly and with mercy. The psalm reinforces the same belief in the One all-powerful God who is good and forgiving.

The gospel continues Matthew's collection of parables concerning the kingdom begun last week. The chapter is the centre and highpoint of Matthew's Gospel. Everything is concentrated on the kingdom and many of the parables begin with the phrase, "The kingdom of heaven is like…" In the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven the kingdom is hidden but quickly grows to enormous proportions. With the parable of the wheat and the darnel, the portrayal of the kingdom is of a mixture of good and evil which the landowner leaves growing together until the final sorting.

God is so great that he allows good and evil to exist side by side and he loves and forgives those who wrong him. Is there anyone you find difficult to forgive? You are invited to pray this week for the grace to be forgiving as God is. St Paul says in the letter to the Romans that the Spirit will help us in our weakness. When we find forgiveness difficult God will work quietly within us until we grow in love in the kingdom. Can you allow God to work in your life?