-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00 Sat. and 9:30 and 12:30 on Sunday.
Mixing It Up!
Jesus, for the second Sunday in a row, is preaching from the 13th chapter of Matthews Gospel and he is commenting on the use of the "parable". Last Sunday I introduced this situation as concluding that there are two types of people that Jesus is ministering to - those who "get it" and those "who don't". Those who "get it" are the ones with faith. They hear and see Jesus as he is - the Son of God, the messiah and Christ. Those "who don't" are those without faith who need to receive the Good News in parables - a preaching that subverts their closed eyes, clogged ears, hard heads and hardened hearts.
Jesus again refers to the need to use parable in some cases. The parable of the weeds in the wheat is a story about this very reality: In the world some people use their freedom to choose God while others use that same freedom and cling to the evil one. What is startling is that those people of two very different stripes, like the weeds and the wheat, can at one time occupy the same space, they can appear very similar in their behavior, while all the time being very opposed to one another in intention.
It takes a graceful and discerning heart to see "whose who" and to put some distance between the weeds and the wheat in life.
How firmly are you set in the ways of the Gospel (wheat)? How discerning is your eye to recognize those among you who are not for you (weeds)? How confident are you in separating yourself from the broken and often sinister(selfish) intentions and pathways of many people around you (media, workplace, social life, family)?
2 comments:
The reminder and encouragement to develop a graceful and discerning heart is really a helpful one. I find that to be among the beauties of having an active religious life - because the support, resources, and guidance for that discernment are so readily available.
I think that is precisely why many of us grieve over that missing ingredient in the lives of so many people we know and love. The fellowship alone that we have as a result of our communion with one another through Church seems to me to be a priceless gift that helps me in the times I might struggle with identifying the weeds in my life. And then reliance on our Tradition and blessed sacraments provides strength and assurance that simply can't be found any other way.
Anon1, your reflection is beautiful. The relationship we share in is the Body of Christ. Unity. One. The absense of the others sharing in this union is very much so a grieving to me too. It makes me hurt inside. They don't know.
Sometimes i seem to have discernment, but most often i don't have discernment at all. I pray for it everyday and often throughout the day in certain circumstances or situations. This leads me to just simply trust God. I mean, what else can one do? Is this discernment a step to trusting God, or is this a selfish desire for more discernment before God may or may not gift it to me. Am i trumping my own spiritual growth?
I'm lost, please help.
On a side note, i have been gardening recently and was thinking of this passage most of the time i was working. Making a story short, I really should have allowed the weeds to grow alongside. :( Talk about a lack of discernment. May i request a prayer that i can stop beating myself up about it. thanks ~
One other thought~
i do believe that all God made is good. It's not the person, it's the undergirding evil for which we need discernment.
Choose to Love more.
Post a Comment