Meditation
for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
(Wisdom
12:13, 16-19; Rm 8:26-27; Mt 13:24-43)
Let us meditate on the parable of the weeds sown among
wheat. The parable reveals the surprising mercy and patience of God, who
allowed the good crops and bad seeds to grow together until the harvest time.
The evil seed sneaks in later at the ‘dark hour’ and spreads across, trying to
dominate. Think about the pressure that will be on the good seeds as the evil
ones grow beside them! Seeing this, we would have loved a quick and immediate
solution by the Master to uproot the weeds at once. But the Master says, “No;
lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.” The depth
of the mercy and patience of the Master for the good seed is such that He does
not want to lose any one of them.
Meditate on how the harvest time is the ultimate moment of
separation between the wheat and the weeds. At this moment, their fruits become
what will distinguish each from the others, and the standard of separation. A
good seed planted will be saved only if it bears the fruit for which it was
intended. No matter how long it takes, evil must be exposed, for it bears forth
nothingness. “By their fruits we shall know them” (Mt 7:16). This uncommon wisdom,
according to the first reading, shows that God, who is sovereign in strength,
judge with mildness and with great forbearance. “Through such works you have
taught your people that the righteous man must be kind, and you have filled
your sons with good hope because you give repentance for sins.”
How can the good bear fruit when they are competing and
rubbing shoulders with evil? The recklessness and disorderliness of evil can
influence and corrupt some good seeds. Thus, the good seed can only bear fruit
by perseverance. However, the good seeds are not helplessly abandoned to the
mercy of the evil seeds. God sends the Holy Spirit as the first of those who
believe (Rm 8:23). “The Spirit helps us in our weakness…” And He preserves us
from the corruption of evil. “The Spirit Himself intercedes for us with sighs
too deep for words.” Therefore, while the wheat and the weed look alike on the surface,
going through similar struggles, God’s chosen ones have an inner life of the
Holy Spirit that makes the difference. No matter the spread of evil, and how
weak we have become, we are always in the presence of God through the Holy
Spirit who dwells in us. Let us open up our hearts and keep alive the presence of
the Holy Spirit within us. Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.
Sunday July 23, 2023.
