Sunday Meditation

This being the 16th Sunday in ordinary time, we focus on the parables Jesus taught, especially the "Parable of the Wheat Field." I can't help but think of God's mercy displayed in this parable and the long-suffering we must exhibit while the Lord tarries in His coming.

If the Kingdom of God is like a wheat field, we are reminded that the "weeds" that are in our midst are in our midst for our sakes. Somehow, God permits the existence of evil with us and will not remove them less we are harmed. Paradoxically evil exists for our good. Difficult to imagine and accept, but we must nonetheless accept it.

For those whose purist mentalities cannot attend parishes where evil exists, human weaknesses or errors to be among us in our parishes or local churches find themselves in a difficult situation. Where will they go? I'm thinking specifically of those Catholics who are looking for the perfect parish or Protestant Christians moving from church to church looking for the "right" church. I'm sorry, the Church is human and there is no getting away from it. Scandals will come, scandals will go. Heresies will pop up, and then they'll dissipate only to reappear in another form a generation or so later.

This is why we MUST NEVER waste our time lamenting the flaws and foibles of Catholics, priests, theologians, or even some Bishops. Certainly we must identify that which isn't Christ among us; we must continuously face off against evil to defeat it. But, we must never over-spend our time whining over the ills and evils among us. Let us pray that we are not those weeds! Let us run to Christ in the Mass and prayer. Let us bear patiently those sufferings that which He bears. Let us commit to joining with Christ in His atonement and suffer with Him for the good of others. Jesus has triumphed in His resurrection. Thus, the Church has triumphed as well. The Church has faced and survived difficult times in the past. Saints have been raised up by the Lord in extrememly dark times. One question is: "Could you yield to God's will and be part of a new generation of saints for our times?" Another question, more important than the first is: "God wills that you become a saint...do you?"