16th Sunday in Ordinary time: The potential of good over evil

"Where have the weeds come from . . . ?"

Matthew 13: 24-43

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071926.cfm

Show favor, O Lord, to your servants

and mercifully increase the gifts of your grace,

that, made fervent in faith, hope, and charity, 

they may be ever watchful in

keeping your commands.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, 

who lives and reigns with you in the unity

of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.

(Collect of Mass)

Considering our Gospel parables this Sunday, we may take a lesson from the bumblebee. If you were to take a bumblebee and place it at the bottom of a tall glass, it will never find its way out.  The glass may remain entirely open at the top but the bee is instinctively programmed by nature to search horizontally.  It doesn’t look up, but only straight ahead and around itself.  So it continues to search but eventually dies from exhaustion. In the process of its single minded search, it destroys itself.

We are different of course as we can search in all directions, we’re open to many considerations and options and its important that we do so.  If we were like the bumblebee, only considering one perspective, we would exhaust ourselves and accomplish nothing.

This can apply to Jesus’ parables as we try to understand them.  The parable of wheat and weeds describes our world the way that it is.  Our world is not as God intended. God made a good and perfect world but evil entered creation.  So, the present condition of our humanity is a mixture of both good and evil; of darkness and light; of joy and sorrow; or peace and violence; of weeds and wheat.

So, in this Sunday’s Gospel we see, through the images that Jesus uses, some understanding of why the world remains the way it is. Our bumblebee tendency may want us to hide from reality but these parables are both revealing and hopeful. We know there are many options in life and many ways in which we can find the healthy wheat among the challenging weeds - the good among the evil.

Jesus uses natural images which the people were familiar with: wheat, weeds, mustard seeds, and yeast in dough. He speaks of healthy wheat, of undercover activity by the enemy who sowed the weeds, of tiny mustard seeds which grow beyond their beginnings, and yeast which silently expands and increases. Such is God’s mysterious plan of grace.  It confronts evil and overcomes ever slowly the forces of darkness.  It calls each of us to personal conversion and to decide which “kingdom” we belong to. 

We may treat these simple stories as charming tales which reflected daily life in ancient times.  Yet, the purpose of parables is far more than simple stories.  They invite us to go deeper beyond the images to the mysteries our Lord is inviting us to ponder. One if the purposes of the parables is to point out bad behavior and direct us in the way to create his kingdom on earth.  There are many layers of meaning to them but their basic truths are timeless. Like the bumblebee, our own personal resistance or rigidity is not helpful. God did not program us to be so narrow. It may be useful for a bee but not for us.

Jesus’ explanation at the end, as last week we heard of the sower and the seed, hits the mark of these stories.  God’s intent in creation, the “field of the world,” was perfection. Yet, the evil one foiled that original plan of God as his enemy, and we the children of God remain in a field of good and evil; of wheat and weeds.  The origin of evil in the world began with a subversive enemy. And that enemy continues to attack the good we see. So it will be until the Lord returns.

Jesus’ other two parables on the mustard seed and yeast in dough bring a similar lesson.  The kingdom of God is mysterious but its potential for growth is powerful. If we remain open to his grace and seek it, it will grow enormously in our life and accomplish its potential through our cooperation.  It begins small and silent but over time it develops that we too will do so.

When we think of it, our days are a combination of life and death, of good and evil, of sometimes having to tolerate what may seem like a noxious choice to bring about a greater good. Still, why does God tolerate evil in the world?  The question is as basic and ancient as the book of Job. The only reasonable answer to that is some form of, “To bring about a greater good.”  Yet, our human limit of what is fair or just is confronted with God’s vision.

It is a fact of life that exists side by side. Jesus’ parable makes this clear and the new mission is in our hands to sow seeds of healthy wheat. Life is not neat and tidy.  The kingdom of God is rooted in this world of darkness and light. But we are called to be people of light as Jesus told us. We are called to be agents of growth and transformation.

If we made efforts to re-order our lives and the culture in which we live always for the greater good, modelled after the virtues of love, self-sacrifice, compassion, forgiveness, reconciliation, peace we see in the Gospel. To show others the way to Christ in his Church where the weeds may find they have far less power or influence.

May our share in the Eucharist be a call for us to model our lives on the Lord of infinite patience who wishes to grace us with the wisdom and patience to be his authentic missionary disciples in this world where we identify the weeds among us and fertilize the wheat that it may expand. 

 

  

15th Sunday - Plant your garden carefully

 

"A sower went out to sow . . . "

Matthew 13: 1-23

The Word:https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071226.cfm

Growing up in the mid-west one of the crops in our home garden, that was a must have, was corn.  There is nothing like a fresh cob of hot and juicy sweet corn, slathered in butter with a touch of salt, that says SUMMER simply by its existence.

My grandmother, coming from strong immigrant east European stock, would spend hours planting and tending the garden. She would be outside on hot and humid days, sometimes for hours to the concern of my mother who was her daughter and would work with her when she could. As young children we wanted to help in some way.

So, following the direction of my grandmother, we would plant the brownish/yellow colored corn seeds in the ground as well as other seeds, not just haphazardly but in hand ploughed, neat and straight rows.  Back and forth we would walk carefully planting corn seeds in the ground, then cover them carefully. After some good TLC over the summer months, the result was the tall green heavy-laden stalks ready for eating.

Now to the parable of Jesus told in this Sunday’s Gospel.  There are really two opinions on this parable.  Some feel it is a tragic parable, while others have referred to it as positive.   

Tragic in the sense that most of the seed tossed carelessly here and there is wasted.  It never makes it to fertile ground so is eaten by birds, scorched by the sun, or falls on rocky ground, etc.

Although on first sight it appears this farmer doesn't know what he's doing.  he carelessly walks about and simply tosses out seed without regard for its care.  Yet, as an image of Christ, this "sower" not carelessly but with extravagant inention, throws out the Gospel message for it is meant for all with no regard for differences. So, this parable is positive in the sense that it is about growth.  Some seed sown, falls on fertile soil and grows abundantly; maybe even more than was wasted. It is a parable not about seeds or agriculture but about growth and change. Finding the fertile soil of a heart that is open to grace, God's desire that all come to receive is fulfilled; many times over in some cases - "one hundred fold."

What this tells us and we certainly realize is that you can’t just put a seed or plant in the ground, walk away and hope for the best to produce the fruits and vegetables you want. Neither should we waste the grace of God offered to us for our spiritual growth.  Our prayer life must be tended carefully by the light of the Gospel, the grace of the sacraments, time in prayer and reflection, and the pursuit of virtues through our service to one another. Desire is a good thing, a sign of the Spirit in our lives, but ultimately it is God’s work and grace that makes the growth possible. Such thoughts may apply to our scriptures this Sunday. Think of the great Saints and how their original work continues to this day and still bears much fruit:  Francis of Assisi, Ignatius Loyola, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, etc. 

Isaiah also uses earthy images of rain and snow and fertile ground along with seeds that grow.  He speaks of God’s word, his grace, the Word who is Christ himself. That voice has not been deterred.  No matter what soil is found, God’s intention will not be stifled. He will continue to sow the seeds of his grace that all might come to know him.  But in the end, it really is up to us to cooperate with this divine sower; to prepare our “soil” properly for growth.

To our weekly celebration of the Eucharist, we all bring our baggage our work tools to plant the seeds of the word we will hear.  Has the past week been easy or challenging? Am I at peace or worried about some burden? What do we hope Christ will offer us this week or are we at all attentive and open to receive his word and his very self in the Eucharist? Such was not out of the questions to the ancient crowds who came to hear Jesus.

After Jesus tells the parable, the disciples pull him aside and ask, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” They know these stories and riddles may confuse the crowd, but Jesus sees their openness to learn more. They admit, “We don’t fully understand; explain it to us.” Their soil is neither rocky nor fit for bird food. Instead, the seed of curiosity and a receptive heart have been planted in prepared soil.

So, read and pray over the scriptures, pray, learn about your Catholic faith, do good for others in the name of Christ and your soil will be ready. The Scriptures bear power and presence that is life changing – if we want our lives to be renewed in Christ. Let’s work on our gardens and be careful about the crop the Spirit has planted within us.

In gathering for the Eucharist, we come before this divine sower who is searching for receptive soil.  We hear his word, we receive his body, and we nurture our personal soil to keep it fertile but also to use what we do know to not only hear the Gospel but to live it.

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O God, who show the light of your truth

to those who go astray,

so that they may return to the right path,

give all who for the faith they profess

are accounted Christians

the grace to reject whatever is contrary to the name of Christ

and to strive after all that does it honor.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, 

who lives and reigns with you in the unity

of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. 

(Collect of Sunday)

 

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Have you found your life?

 

"Whoever receives me receives the one who sent me"

Matthew 10: 37-42

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062826.cfm

O God, who through the grace of adoption

chose us to be children of light,

grant that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error

but always be seen to stand in the bright light of truth.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, 

who lives and reigns with you

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever.

(Collect of Mass)

A principle of motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. We know this well and it is why we wear seat belts in a moving car.  If the car stops suddenly without a restraint holding us we won't stop!  We will continue to move forward with possible dire consequences.  If you leave a package on your front seat while driving and you hit the brakes, that package will continue to move forward while you stop. 

In a similar fashion, for every choice there is a consequence.  If I choose to marry or choose freely to enter religious life, the "consequence" is a more limited personal freedom for example.  As a married person I no longer have the freedom to go where I want or to be with who I want to be with.  I must think of the other I have married as my present and lifelong focus and the effects of my choices on my spouse and children.  Same is true in religious life.  

My community, my parish is the focus of my energy, and I have a responsibility to them that outweighs a certain level of my personal freedom. But that is not a negative outcome. Rather, any choice we make for God can only produce something more enriching.

The same principle I think can be applied to our Christian discipleship.  To follow Jesus demands a sacrificial level of personal freedom but also great rewards.  Jesus calls all of us as his disciples to recognize that Christianity, if we take it seriously, will demand of us a choice beyond our comfort level at times. Jesus does not promise success, fortune and fame if we choose him.  But, rather the cross, losing our life to gain it. Hmmm?

In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus makes a statement that is somewhat harsh and may seem dismissive of such important family connections: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me . . .” What about the importance of family life? Then he adds to the demand: “. . . whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me . . .” The audience to whom Jesus spoke would have been more than mildly disturbed for family was everything in ancient times.

One source (Sunday Web Site: University of St. Louis) states: "The ancient middle eastern family was very large and extended from father to all his married sons with all their families, living on one place. The ideal marriage partner was a first cousin . . . The resultant mentality was 'our family' against 'everyone else."

That's a tight knit family structure indeed. This is why the parable of the prodigal son was so shocking since no Jewish son would ever betray his living father in that manner and so shamelessly bring dishonour on the entire family by doing so.

Yet, while blood lines and family relationships are important the demands of discipleship are essentially at play here; likewise, is the measure of our loyalty to Jesus.  Do we follow him only when things are easy and comfortable or can we remain loyal as we share in his cross and the personal sacrifices demanded by our Christian way of life? As he prepares his disciples for mission Jesus asks they weigh the level of their commitment to him and his Gospel.

What we hear from our Lord this Sunday is that to be a true Christian, we must think beyond the limits which life imposes.  We would never be asked to renounce our family ties, but the demand of Christian love and sacrifice go beyond the familiar and comfortable.  The mission of the Church may demand a re-prioritizing of our own lives.  The Gospel must be preached to all and not just to those who agree with us.  Called as missionary disciples we are challenged to become witnesses to Christ in this world and there may be times that even our own family members disagree with us.  Can we still be loyal to the truth which Christ has revealed to us? Can we respond to such tension with love and respect?

It's interesting that we often hear from those in the OCIA process for example, that family members of those who seek to be baptized and come into full communion with the Catholic Church do not always understand their choice and in some cases may outright strongly disagree with their embrace of “those Catholics.”  It may even be a spouse who is uncomfortable or a son or daughter who wants nothing to do with Catholics.  It’s tough, of course, and somewhat hurtful.   Yet called to loyalty we are invited to seek the grace to be faithful members and followers of Christ and his Church.

In the end, as Catholic Christians, we are essentially agents of Jesus Christ and his Church. The Church we are born into by baptism, in which we gather for Mass, and the community of faith that inspires and supports us in our journey is the Body of Christ and Jesus is the Head of his Church, we are his agents. We all keep in mind the same common purpose: to be agents of Christ in the world and to bring others to his Church: to announce the Gospel in a way that is welcoming and attractive.

In addition, we all who were “baptized into Christ,” as St. Paul speaks today, live a new life in him. And the demands of that life mean that what he asks of his disciples today, he asks of us as well.  Will you be my agent in the world?  This is not a demand that we leave our families behind but rather a challenge to make our position as his agents in the world, the framework by which we measure what we do. This kind of commitment to Christ and the Gospel, and by that to his Church, is a very real thing for many. Sometimes, it is particularly difficult at first.

So, the readings, especially our Gospel this Sunday, are not to disturb us but to remind us that as a Christian I can’t be simply lukewarm or wishy washy, or to live by Bishop Barron’s favorite description of “beige Catholicism.” Faith is more than a title only but a profound life changing choice to follow the Lord who should be the center of our spiritual life. My house built on rock as it were. That choice has its demands not for the short term but for eternity. But so does hospitality and kindness towards others who come as agents of the Lord.

Do I treat my faith as if it was a hobby or a lifetime commitment? Is “Catholic” the Church I attend or the way I see myself in the world? Do I find myself behaving very “Christian” in public or only when I attend Mass yet during the week I fall back into old patterns that are more harmful or certainly not productive for my faith life?  Do I allow the Gospel to frame the kind of person I am?  When my faith is challenged do I really stand up and be counted, or do I hide in the safety of the shadows?

Our gathering to share in the Body and Blood of Christ is to receive a great act of love from the One who calls us to join his winning side as it were.  To follow Christ is to make an intentional decision which means that other priorities must be measured against the Gospel. Still, after receiving so much from him how can we offer any less?

 

 

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Where are the leaders?

 

"Like sheep without a shepherd"

Matthew 9: 36 - 10:8

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061426.cfm

O God, strength of those how hope in you, graciously hear our pleas,

and since without you mortal frailty can do nothing,

grant as always the help of you grace, 

that in following your commands we may please you 

by our resolve and our deeds. 

(from Preface for Mass)

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Many of us have prized possessions or family heirlooms that we hold on to rather than donate to someone else, no matter how worthy their need may be. They are priceless to us because they have some family attachment or some personal memory, as a piece of jewellery or a watch may have.

Well this Sunday we hear that even God has a special possession and that possession is us; you and me, humanity created in the image and likeness of God.  He does not want to give us up and he hopes to gain our full attention. As Pope Leo XIV states in the title of his encyclical: Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity). This precious value is spoken of in our first reading:

“You shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people.” We hear these comforting words from the Book of Exodus in this Sunday’s first reading. I would emphasize that God is saying “you”—not someone else, not something else, but you. To every human being he says that and therefore, God is love whose love is universal.  As we call him a jealous God - he does not want to share us with any other "god" whatever form that may be.  Do we love God above all things or is something/someone else the center of our lives?

In our Gospel passage from Matthew, that same theme carries over  from as we hear: “At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.”

I find that line beautiful and heart wrenching at the same time.  Jesus' pity is because they lack effective leadership.  His pity is deeply heart-felt filled with compassion even empathy for the suffering of the crowd. 

The leaders, “shepherds,” are appointed to lead and guide, to form and inspire in the law of God but they have no one to do that for them so they wander like sheep lost with no direction with no leadership. Not only on a social level but indeed on a deeper level of faith which would give meaning and purpose to their lives. 

Isn’t this true in nations when those elected as prime ministers, presidents, even kings and queens are ineffective and that nation may be submitted to a more dictatorial and often violent leadership.  We need not look very far in our world today to see such leaders who care more for themselves than the people they represent. Power, greed, lust for fame are dark and destructive traits.

The same is true in the Church; the danger of poor leaders is glaringly obvious with any casual read of Church history.  At the same time, we find ourselves a  inspired and moved by saintly, holy, morally upright, selfless and outstanding leadership as well.  But scandal should be avoided at all cost.

So Jesus calls us to pray, to pray for an abundant harvest of good leaders, shepherds after his own heart and mind.  And then he turns to his own disciples, who became Apostles, and calls them to be the new leaders of the new Christian faith.  He chose them because they had great potential for leadership?  Likely not and in fact they were deeply flawed but in them he saw what he was looking for and he called them. 

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, they will root the Gospel in culture and society and by the grace of the Holy Spirit, will establish a new world order, the kingdom of heaven on earth.  Jesus states: “As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Brothers and sisters, we are commissioned, each in our own way, to go out and by our example, in some cases our leadership, to establish Gospel values in society in our time and place.  We can’t change the world, but we are called to be faithful missionary disciples of the Lord as we accompany one another along the road to holiness.

Jesus wants to use us and with the gifts given to each of us for the upbuilding of God’s kingdom here, we are his hands and his feet.  Let’s be good harvesters of the crop God has planted. 

Peace and good mission.