16th Sunday of \Ordinary Time
This Sunday is the 16th Sunday of ordinary time as the summer continues to go by at breakneck speed. Our first reading from the Boof of Wisdom is taken from a long passage in which the author sings the praises of God and all the things he has done for his often-ungrateful people. Justice, mercy and forgiveness are the qualities the Lord shows towards us, and by inference these are the qualities which in us most reflect the glory of God that we should show to other people. In the Second Reading these verses from Romans follow directly on from last Sunday’s reading. Paul is very aware that to talk of the distinction between the ‘unspiritual’ and the ‘spiritual’ is all very well, but in practice we sometimes find ourselves literally ‘lost for words’ when we try to pray. This doesn’t matter; Paul assures us. If we are alive with the Spirit we can be assured that God knows what we cannot express.
In the Gospel we hear the story is the parable of the seed and the weeds. In this parable Jesus recognized good’s co-existence with evil. He also held out the hope that the Kingdom would right all wrongs. I think that there is the potential in each of us to be either wheat or darnel that is good and bad. We need to ask ourselves who are we called to be in a world where weeds and seeds grow side by side. Should we hide from the messiness and make faith a private personal relationship with God? Should we insulate ourselves – sharing with those we think are worthy of our love, deciding who is worthy? Where is God in all this concern, worry and judgment? If we pray about these three questions and our problems and those of others, we will see God is there in the middle of everything and his hand will guide us and as a result we will be the seeds that flourish and not the weeds that die. Jesus used parables to challenge his audience to think, and he uses the parables in today’s world to challenge all of us. In truth and charity, we must speak to others and teach them about the great responsibility they have to choose to be weeds that die or seeds that flourish. All of us have the power to freely choose Him or to reject Him. May we see the seeds of the Kingdom of Heaven grow and flourish in our midst.
Today, as we look at our present situation, we can still detect weeds in ourselves. Rather than being overcome by discouragement, the parable proposes a note of hope. After all, good seed has been planted in us and is growing. The burden of the struggle is not ours alone. Our calling then is to participate as best we can in building up a world where God is King! God will decide on its membership, not us and he will guide us along the roads that lead to Salvation and he will help us to be the seeds that flourish instead of being the weeds that die.
Fullerton T 