Homily for 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A (Mixed Farming Spirituality)

COMMENTARIES FROM THE HEART (By Fr. Anthony Agnes)

16^th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A (23.07.2023)

First Reading: Wisdom 12:13,16-19

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 85(86):5-6,9-10,15-16

Second Reading: Romans 8:26-27

Gospel: Matthew 13:24-43

Theme: “Mixed Farming Spirituality”

God has many names; love, peace, justice, patience, etc. Today’s readings give us another name of God: “Mercy”. As Pope Francis once said, “God’s name is Mercy”. We see this mercy of God in all our readings for today.

In our first reading from the Book of Wisdom, the writer described God in these words: “you have given your sons the good hope, that after sin you will grant repentance”. Indeed, God shows us forgiveness so that we can also show forgiveness to our brothers and sisters.

In the second reading, St. Paul writing to the Christians in Rome reminded them that: “The Spirit comes to help us in our weakness”. This comforting because when we are spiritually weak we feel that we are not in the presence of God. But we are reminded that even when we feel far away from God it is then that he sends us his Spirit to accompany us, to guide us back into his presence. God loves us so much that he is concerned about where we are and the condition of life that we find ourselves in. We are not alone when you feel weak and when we feel abandoned. God is standing right behind us; he will see us through every difficulty.

In the Gospel reading Jesus tells us about the parable of the wheats and the darnel (weeds). This parable is the truth of our lives. Our life is like the field mentioned in the parable; it contains good seeds (wheats) and also bad seeds (weeds). In life, many times we experience good times (wheat moments) and at other times we experience bad times (weed moments). We all have our successes and also our failures. Our good times (successes) are the good seeds (wheats), our bad times (failures) are the bad seeds (weeds). Like the servants in the parable, sometimes we wish the bad seeds (weeds) are uprooted, are taken out immediately from our life so that we can enjoy only good times and find happiness. But today’s parable is reminding us to accept that sometimes failures, disappointments, pains, hurts, sicknesses, etc. will stay with us for a while. We have to accept that some weeds are to be left till the end. Some difficulties and challenges will remain part of our lives.

When the servants wanted to go and uproot the weeds the Master told them: “Let them both grow till the harvest”. What does this mean? Patience. This is the key. We need patience; first, patience with God and then patience with ourselves. When we are patient there is no problem we cannot overcome. Let us pray for this gift of patience in times of difficulties. Let us pray also for our grandparents and the elderly as we celebrate this day dedicated to them (Sunday for Grandparents and the Elderly), that they will find patience and that we will also be patient with them in our families.

Praise be Jesus Christ!

My Prayer: Merciful Lord, I know you are not tired of forgiving me. Please make me also never tired of asking for your forgiveness, for you are my mercy. In Jesus name. Amen!

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