“Let Them Grow Together Until Harvest” by Melanie Rigney (@melanierigney)

By Félicien Rops (Félicien Rops)
[Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons.

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency, and with much lenience you govern us; for power, whenever you will, attends you. (Wisdom 12:18)

Lord, you are good and forgiving.  (Psalm 86:5a)

The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. (Romans 8:26)

“The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.  When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. The slaves of the householder came to him and said, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?' He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' He replied, 'No if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until the harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, "First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn." (Matthew 13:24-30)

Piety

Lord, feed my roots, that my belief might grow deeper and deeper, crowding out the weeds of doubt and fear.

Study

God’s grace is great. So is His patience. And so is His trust that, given time, we will put aside those things that threaten our growth in Him.

Consider the parable in today’s Gospel reading. The household slaves are eager, all too eager, really to do what they think will please the master and go out and uproot the weeds in the field. But he instructs them not to do so, lest they uproot the young wheat plants in the process. Better to wait, he advises, until the harvest.

Who among us does not have a few weeds in our field? Weeds of pride, of fear, of doubt, of all the other stuff that threatens to choke out the Lord’s presence. And, alas, who among us does not find it just as easy to see the weeds in another’s field, especially someone we find difficult to love. Ah, how we itch to go into that field.

May we have the faith, courage, and confidence to work on our own weeding, and to know when we are called upon to tenderly and with love help others clear away theirs.

Action

What are the two or three most persistent weeds in your garden? Ask a priest or trusted adviser for a good insecticide that won’t damage the wheat.