Trusting | Persevering | Being Patient

16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

[ Matthew 13: 24-43 ]

Darnel is a serious weed in the cultivation of wheat. The similarity between the wheat and the darnel is so great that darnel is often referred to as the "false wheat".

The wheat and the weeds

The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds strikingly shows us the never-ending conflict between good and evil in the world since the beginning of time. However, we must not lose heart, lose hope, or lose faith seeing evil triumph in our country and in the world today. Jesus Christ Himself, the sower of the good seed, is watching closely and he has said, “Let them both grow until harvest.” Indeed, the time of harvest will come, when the darnel (the evil ones) will be gathered and thrown into the blazing furnace.

Upon deeper reflection, yes, the battle between good and evil also takes place within our hearts. Has not the darnel been growing alongside with the wheat in the field of our hearts as well? Deep inside our hearts, we desire doing good, but we end up doing the evil we abhor. We want to give up evil, but we keep stumbling and falling back into sin. There is a constant tug-of-war between the good desires and the evil desires in our hearts.

Ignatian discernment of the spirits: what spirit is at work in me?

There are three points we can learn from the Gospel reading this Sunday:

   (1) Trust in God’s Providence. Our Lord is watching over us and the world. He has given us the power to live as children of light and children of the day; we do not belong to the night or to darkness [1 Thess 5: 5]. He also gives us the power to conquer sin and evil, “Look, I have given you power to tread down serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you.” [Lk 10: 19] Yes, with God’s grace, we can outgrow, outsize and outlive the darnels.

   (2) Persevere in doing good. No evil is too trivial; and no good is too petty. We must always choose to do good and avoid evil. Has not the wheat come from the good seed? And the darnel from the bad seed? Every seed of faith, hope and love that we sow, will yield a bountiful harvest in God’s time. When our hearts are full of faith, hope and love, there will be no place for darnels. St (Mother) Teresa has this to say, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

   (3) Patience with God and ourselves. The Lord of the harvest will tend to His field, we need to trust, persevere, and be patient. We may fall again and again, but we must never give up trying. The world is broken and evil ones thrive, but the Lord has not forsaken us. Slowly, silently but surely, the Kingdom of Heaven is rising like the leavening yeast and growing like the tiny mustard seed.

The power of trust, perseverance and patience.

Let our fervent prayer be:

   “Lord Jesus Christ, we place all our trust in You.”

Let us also pray that God’s justice, peace, truth and love may prevail in Ukraine, Sri Lanka and Nicaragua.

   [Note: This Gospel reflection was first published on Porta Fidei, Gospel Reflection, 19 Jul 2020.]