Homily 16th Sunday Ordinary A Today, we celebrate the Sixteenth Sunday in the Ordinary Time. And in my homily, l’ll focus on two main points.
My first point is an invitation to have Patience and Hope
The parable of the weeds among the wheat, in today’s gospel, shows us the great patience and hope of God. This parable is just a follow up to the parable of the sower we heard last Sunday. One thing is sure. At the time of sowing, the sower sowed only good seed of wheat, but not weeds. Even the servants remembered that. That’s why they were surprised to see the weeds that showed up in the ground besides the wheat. Where did it come from? It’s the question the servant asked the master and themselves. It’s a little bit the same existential question people ask about the origin of suffering, evil, and death in the world. If God created everything good, how then could we explain the question of suffering, evil, death and misery in the world? It is likewise for parents in their educational task or duty. They try their best to teach good things to their child. So they look surprised and astounded one day when their child says bad words they didn’t teach him. Then they ask: “
Where have you learned that bad language or who has taught you that?” Fortunately for us, at the end of today’s gospel, the Lord Jesus himself clearly explains the meaning of this parable:
“He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.” In other words, in that parable, Jesus confirms what we already know to be true: evil exists in the world, and the devil really exists and is at work.
“We see evidence of all of it around us. Sometimes it even seems as if evil is winning out. Will the weeds eventually choke out the wheat and overrun the field of God’s kingdom? Jesus assures us that it will not. In the end, the angels of God will sort the good from the bad, and evil will be destroyed forever. The fact is, by his death and resurrection, Jesus has already won the victory over evil. Someday God’s kingdom will reign over all the earth.” The parable of the weeds and the wheat captures the tangled ambiguities of the human heart. The word translated as “weeds” actually refers specifically to darnel, also called “false wheat.” Darnel, which is poisonous to human beings, is easily mistaken for true wheat until the ear, the fruit, appears. Then, Jesus counsels patience and hope, just to say that the true will come out from the false when time comes, even within our own souls. Let us have the patience and hope of God: to be patient with ourselves, in our own projects, in our plans for the future and in everything we do; to be patient with others, with your husband, with your wife, your children, your parents and your fellow parishioners of Saint Patrick and Saint James; to be patient with scientists in their work of researching a Vaccine against Coronavirus; to be patient for recovering from illness after a surgery or a cancer treatment. As they say,
“Patience is the mother of all virtues.”
My second point is about the place and role of the Holy Spirit in our life
In today’s Second Reading, Saint Paul reminds us the role the Holy Spirit plays in our spiritual life:
“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 groaning.” Many people neglect the Holy Spirit in their lives. Christians generally have different kind of devotions. They pray the rosary, they do Novenas to Saint Patrick or Saint Therese of the Child Jesus. They pray Saint Rita for the desperate situations. But, they forget the Holy Spirit. They let Him on the bench of their spiritual life. It’s a pity because they don’t know what they really miss by neglecting the Holy Spirit. Neglecting the Holy Spirit is comparable to a coach of a football team, a soccer team or a basketball team who let on the bench the best player of his team, the one able to make the difference and give him victory always. Neglecting the Holy Spirit is also like a warrior going on a battle field without his best armor, his invincible shield and weapon able to protect him and make him invulnerable and unbeatable. What can we do without the Holy Spirit? Everything we do is under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When we wake up in the morning and pray, it’s the Holy Spirit who inspires us. When you decide to come to mass at Saint Patrick in Placerville, or at Saint James in Georgetown; when you come to confession every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, it’s the Holy Spirit. When you give testimony about your faith as a Christian and catholic, it’s the Holy Spirit who gives you that strength. When you decide to help and assist a homeless or someone suffering and in need, the little ones of Christ, it’s the Holy Spirit of love who inspires you and gives you a generous, compassionate, and golden heart. Today, let us rediscover the importance of the Holy Spirit in our spiritual life. Therefore, when you do your prayer, begin with the invocation of the Holy Spirit to call upon you the presence of the Trinity God. He is the Spirit of Strength, the Spirit of Fire, the Spirit of Love and Peace, the Spirit of Courage, the Spirit of Healing, the Spirit of Joy and Service. Everything the apostles did, it was through the action of the Holy Spirit. Everything we share in our parish of Saint Patrick and Saint James, it’s through the action of the Holy Spirit. Let’s give a great place to the Holy Spirit in our life, because He is the source of energy of our Christian’s life.
As Rev. Fr Pepin Dandou wrote, “
The Holy Spirit is the engine of our spiritual life. He is like in a car, - the engine, the fuel, oil and the battery all combined, - essential for the car to kick-start and work normally. Without the Holy Spirit, our spiritual life is dead and good to be sent to a demolition center.” I’ll conclude my homily with a wonderful quote of
Saint Padre Pio who says,
“Don’t allow any sadness to dwell in your soul. For sadness prevents the Holy Spirit from acting freely in your life.” Rev. Fr Pepin W. F. DANDOU