In Matthew 13, Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a great net with a great catch—but the bad fish must be thrown out. Ty Wahlbrink, SJ reflects that the task of the Christian today is to similarly separate the good from the bad voices in our hearts. Based on the readings for the 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time.
Heaven is close. Just follow the right voices.
Hi, I’m Ty Wahlbrink, and this is my One-Minute Reflection.
In Matthew 13, Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a great net bringing in a huge haul of fish. Not all are good though. Jesus warns the bad fish must be thrown out.
The temptation might be to think “I help others! I go to church!”, so I’m good? The reality is: inside each of us there are good fish and bad fish.
The task of the Christian is to toss out our own spoiled mackerel the best we can. St. Ignatius of Loyola called this discernment of spirits. The main idea is that the voice of the Holy Spirit draws us closer to God. But other voices like selfishness or pride try to get in the way.
When we follow that good voice, though, we are made into premium sashimi ready for the banquet of heaven.