July 19, 2020
16th Sunday Ordinary
On occasion a child may ask: “Is it bad to say OMG – Oh My God!†I assure them OMG can be, with the right intention, a simple prayer. At times I find myself saying: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph.†Prayers like this come to our lips from our hearts when we experience our lives unravelling -- like now! Our human impulse is to beseech God to intervene and rectify all that seems to be going wrong. We hear this appeal to God for divine intervention in all three of our readings.
Our first reading is from the Book of Wisdom. In the Catholic Bible, it is the latest part of the Old Testament almost contemporary with Jesus. The author expresses Jewish faith in One Almighty God. God’s might is supreme, yet God wields divine power with remarkable restraint. “Your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all...you judge with clemency.†Our human inclination is to bully but God teaches the “just must be kind… and give your children good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins.â€
Saint Paul in his letter to the Church at Rome writes: “The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness.†The Spirit is given “to pray as we ought†and “intercedes (for us) with inexpressible groanings…according to God’s will.†God does not give us a blueprint on how our lives will unfold in Christ. The Spirit, searching our hearts, helps us discern God’s purpose and plan.
In the Gospel according to St. Matthew, Jesus tells another parable. This time about wheat and weeds. Sadly, we hear of slaves. They report to the Master that weeds are growing up with the wheat. “An enemy has done this!†They ask if they should pull out the weeds. The Master directs them to let the weeds and wheat grow together. At harvest time we will sort things out. The wheat gather into my barn. The weeds bundle for the fire.
Attentive listeners will wonder about the symbolic meaning of the wheat and weeds. Is Jesus, when speaking of wheat, referring to those who are receptive to his teaching, and of the weeds, referring to those who reject his message and mission? Does wheat bespeak of goodness and fidelity? Do weeds speak of evil and unfaithfulness? They may reflect on how wheat and weeds, good and evil, are part of the world in which they live and how they grow together in the garden in their own hearts. Knowing the teaching of the prophets and the wisdom of Israel, they will hear in the story of Jesus God’s forbearance and mercy i.e. a graced time of repentance, conversion, and transformation. Perhaps too they will realize the “sorting out†at the end can take place now as they discern what is true and precious.
OMG can be our plea to God to sustain and assist us during this difficult time; OMG can be a confession of our faith; OMG can be a confession of our sinfulness; and OMG can be an expression of hope in the mercy of God. We can become so obsessed by evil in the world and sin in ourselves (the weeds) that we fail to appreciate the enormous potential for good that we carry within ourselves (the wheat). There will be a time of judgment. Gratefully God will sort things out. Until then we should live our faith as best we can.
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15th Sunday Ordinary
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17th Sunday Ordinary
