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 in bundles to burn; but the wheat gather ye into my barn.
What is to be understood by the kingdom of heaven?
The Church of God, or the congregation of the faithful upon earth.
What are we to understand by the good seed and the cockle?
By the good seed is meant good Christians, children of God, who bring forth thousandfold fruit of good works; the cockle denotes heretics, infidels, and bad men. We are also to under stand by the good seed the word of God, and by the cockle false doctrines and principles.
Who are they that are asleep?
1. Those secular and ecclesiastical superiors who neglect the obligations of their office, fail to watch over their flock, and to punish the guilty. In this case it is easy for the devil to corrupt the congregation by false doctrine, by mockery of religion, by bad example, and immoral books. 2. Those Christians who cease to use the means of salvation by absenting themselves from divine service, by omitting to receive the sacraments, to hear the word of God, or to do good works.
Why does not God gather up the wicked, who are the cockle, and destroy them?
1. On account of His long-suffering and patience towards the sinner, whom He gives the opportunity of doing penance. 2. Out of love for the just and righteous; for should He exterminate the wicked, the just would lose the opportunity of exercising many virtues, such as patience, meekness, mercy, purity, and perseverance to the end, whereby they acquire the merits of eternal life.
Aspiration.
O Jesus, Who hast sown the good seed of Thy divine word ,n our hearts, grant that it may bring forth in us, many fold, the fruit of eternal life. Defend us against the enemy, that he may not sow in us false and wicked doctrines to destroy our good works; preserve us from the sleep of sin and sloth, that we may
