Gospel Reflection for The 31st day of July in the year of Our Lord, 2025

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest

Matthew 13:47-53

47 Again the kingdom of heaven is like to a net cast into the sea, and gathering together of all kind of fishes. 48 Which, when it was filled, they drew out, and sitting by the shore, they chose out the good into vessels, but the bad they cast forth. 49 So shall it be at the end of the world. The angels shall go out, and shall separate the wicked from among the just. 50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51 Have ye understood all these things? They say to him: Yes. 52 He said unto them: Therefore every scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven, is like to a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure new things and old. 53 And it came to pass: when Jesus had finished these parables, he passed from thence.

Saint Peter, and several of the Holy Apostles, were fisherman. Therefore, throughout the history of Christianity, the Church has often been compared to a ship. Indeed, Jesus stated that His Apostles would be “fishers of men.” Noah's Ark was a type of the Church, an ancient symbol of the Catholic Church whose mission would be to save all of humanity, much as the Ark of the Covenant is a type of the Blessed Virgin Mary who would carry within herself the Word of God and upon whom the Spirit of God would descend as was described in today's first reading.

For 2,000 years, the Catholic Church has gone out to every nation and people with its nets of doctrine, theology and faith. Men are not like fish – we must willingly enter the net, just as the animals willingly entered the ark. Even then, some men who come to believe in the truth of Christianity rebel and leave the ship of the Catholic Church. Protestant doctrine teaches that “faith alone” is all that is necessary to be saved. They also teach the heresy of “once saved always saved.” This false doctrine states that once one “accepts Jesus Christ as his Lord and savior,” no sin or rebellion can prevent his eternal salvation – even if commits multiple murders and renounces faith in Christ, he will still be saved.

Once again, Protestant doctrine proves to be false as the angels will sort even the fish in the net, just as they will sift the wheat from the chaff and separate the wicked from the just. These wicked are not the fish not caught in the net, but those who claim to be Christian. Saint Cyprian of Carthage wrote in the 3^rd century, “extra Ecclesiam nulla salus”. Or outside of the Church there is no salvation. In modern times, the Catholic Church teaches that those outside of the Church will be judged according to what they understand and by their sins, so a non-Catholic may be saved. But, it is much more difficult. The safest and surest course of action is not to try to escape the net of the Catholic Church, but to run to it!

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Judson Carroll is the author of several books, including his newest, A Daily Catholic Devotional, Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings July-December, 2025 It is Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F5BHFZ7X

and

Confirmation, an Autobiography of Faith. It is also Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C47Q1JNK

His podcast is The Uncensored Catholic https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-uncensored-catholic