16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A, Year II)
Community Word: Those who come to Jesus find rest in Him.
Theme: We find rest in Jesus when we grow and bear fruit for the Kingdom of God.
Promise: “The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Mt 13:43)
Reflection
The parable this week reminds us not to get so distracted by the weeds, that we overlook the wheat among and within us. The wheat, the good in our world, is the assurance of harvest. Despite the weeds, there will be a harvest of people who know, love and serve God. The only question is, are we going to be part of that magnificent harvest, or are we to be among the weeds destined for the fire?
Our word for the month says: “Those who come to Jesus find rest in Him”. God waits for us to turn, or if we have gone astray, to return to Him, giving us every opportunity to be fruitful, and time for the seeds of goodness in our hearts to grow. It is not the evil, but the goodness we should focus on, so that what we see may serve to encourage us. Just so, our theme for this week is: “We find rest in Jesus when we grow and bear fruit for the kingdom of God.” God wants us to hear and understand and put into practice His direction. He doesn’t see us as vaults in which He hides His word, but as pastures in which His word can take root and grow.
There are two great forces at work in the universe: good and evil. We are all fields sown with seeds of good and evil. Whether we turn out to be wheat or weeds depends on our response to God’s offer of salvation. Not that as human beings we can do anything to earn that salvation. God ‘waters’ and nurtures the plant and the “final solution” rests in Him alone. But His kingdom is available to all, and like the plants He waters, we need to cooperate with His grace in order to grow, bear fruit, and claim our citizenship in that kingdom. “An enemy has done this” (Mt 13:28), the gospel tells us. Indeed the enemy will triumph if we allow the trials, tribulations, heartaches and sorrows of life to overwhelm us – forgetting the goodness that is also there. But God is kind and merciful. He does not schedule the burning of the weed until after the harvest, giving even the weeds among us a chance to transform into wheat, ready for the kingdom of God.
We may not like it, but God allows the righteous and the wicked to live side by side. “Let them grow together until harvest” (Mt 13:30). And while for now not everyone has faith, the situation may change. It is not for us to refuse to mix freely with others, or be intolerant of those who do not share our beliefs. For we are all human subject to errors. And thank God for a God who allows us to make mistakes – and make amends – or we would never take risks, or feel free to ask foolish question. We would never learn. And if we can’t learn, we can’t be transformed from weeds to wheat!
Jesus made it clear that He did not come to destroy people’s lives. It makes no difference whether we are wheat or weeds. Jesus came to save us. It is not for us to judge or condemn. To God alone belongs the responsibility to pull out the weed. Only He knows when and how to do the least damage. It is God who handles the weeds in the world and in our own hearts. He has the power, the wisdom, the perfect timing to reveal the real nature of the weeds and the wheat. The gentle power from above allows us to discover the real problems in our own hearts. And throughout the journey, as we struggle with the bruises of life and the weeds in our own hearts, we have the promise of forgiveness, mercy and God’s patient endurance of human limitations.
The gospel continues with two more parables: the mustard seed and the yeast in the dough. What is common between the two? Both are small and insignificant, both are ordinary but have the potential for greatness. Just like us. So no matter what/who we are, we are still valuable and important to God. We can all make a difference because everyone is special in the eyes of God. He will never give up on us. He always gives fresh hope, another chance, so that we can improve and renew our lives. God does everything in our favor, as the gospel says in our promise this week: “The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Mt 13:43).
Prayer
Merciful and loving God, great and marvelous are your deeds, just and true are your ways. We could only be thankful for the way you stay with all of us till the harvest. We believe You will do and give everything to us so that we can move forward in life and can grow in Your grace. Continue to guide us to bring out the best in us, to produce good deeds, to work for the good and the benefit of others, for Your name’s sake. Amen
Reflection Questions:
1.What are the “wheat” in my life that I need to develop and nourish?
2.What are the “weeds” in my heart that I have to get rid of or transform into wheat?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
July 20, 2014 (Sun) Wis 12:13,16-19/Ps 86:5-6,9-10,15-16/Rom 8:26-27/Mt 13:14-43
July 21, 2014 (Mon) Mi 6:1-4,6-8/Ps 50:5-6,8-9,16-17,21,23/Mt 12:38-42
July 22, 2014 (Tues) Ml 7:14-15,18-20/Ps 85:2-45-6,7-8/Jn 20:1-2,11-18
July 23, 2014 (Wed) Jer 1:1,4-10/Ps 71:1-2,3-4,5-6,15,17/Mt 13:1-9
July 24, 2014 (Thur) Jer 2:1-3,7-8,12-13/Ps 36:6-7,8-9,10-11/Mt 13:10-17
July 25, 2014 (Fri) 2Cor 4:7-15/Ps 126:1-2,2-3,4-5,6/Mt 20:20-28
July 26, 2014 (Sat) Sir 44:1,1015/Ps 132:11,13-14,17-18/Mt 13:16-17
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
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