WE SHOULD BE PATIENT WITH ONE ANOTHER AS GOD IS PATIENT WITH US.

 Sunday, July 23, 2023.

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

First Reading. Wisdom 12: 13, 16-l9

Psalm. 86: 5-6, 9-10, 15-16 (R.5a)

Second Reading. Romans 8: 26-27

Gospel. Matthew 13: 24-43

TOPIC FOR REFLECTION

LET US BE PATIENT WITH ONE ANOTHER AS GOD IS PATIENT WITH US.

If you Oh Lord should mark our guilt, who will survive? Psalm 130: 3

In today's Gospel, Jesus gave three different parables and all of the parables centred on only one message which is the Seed.

The parable contains the farmer, the seed, the field, the enemy and the person who harvested the grain. 

*** The meaning of the parable is as follows:

Jesus is the farmer, the seed is the kingdom of God, the earth (world) is the field, the devil is the enemy, and the angels are those who harvest.

Similarly, the kingdom of God was compared to a small mustard seed that grew to become a big tree, and also like a leaven that grew bigger to become a leavened.

Meanwhile, the second reading made it clear that we cannot do anything meaningful without the help of the Holy Spirit, and the first reading stated categorically that God is a just judge. He allows us to repent.

My dear, can we be patient with one another like God is patient with us? The fact is that we all are quick to judge and condemn one another, and any little mistake by any person, we conclude immediately that the person is evil. Don't we make mistakes?

We are very quick to discriminate between good and evil, between friends and enemies.

We are never patient with one another. 

In fact, some of us had concluded that some sets of people can never become good again in life. Why do we make such a conclusion, are we God? Always remember that the person who is upright today may fall tomorrow. No one knows tomorrow. 

More reason, we are quick to always pray for the misfortune and death of those we do not like, those we perceived as our enemies,  those whom we feel our spirit does not go with. Yet, we often forget that other people too may see us as enemies, and also pray for our misfortunes and death.

Now, let me ask, who will like misfortune and death to befall him or her among us? I guess nobody. 

Similarly, we should not forget the passage in the bible where Jesus said we should always pray for our enemy 

Matt. 5: 44 says, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. 

Although, I must admit that this is the hardest part of our Christian faith, yet it is a sharp contrast to start praying for the misfortunes and death of the person whom we do not like, whom we see as our enemy. 

Can I shock you, that person you see as your enemy, maybe God's favourite? I am sure you will claim that you are God's favourite, what if someone who sees you as an enemy prays for your misfortune and death, will it not be a wasted effort for the person to be fighting you who is God's favourite?

Invariably, God allows the good and the bad to enjoy all the benefits of the earth, He allows both rain and sun to fall and shine on all, but at the end of time, His Angel will separate the good from the bad.

Do you know why God allows that? 

Have you ever seen a day-old baby that starts to talk and walk immediately? I guess not.

Therefore, it is because the Word of God takes time to germinate in the heart of individuals, and so God is patient to allow it to grow. 

However, in the process of its growing, the devil comes to plant its kingdom too, which makes many go astray.

So, God waits patiently for our conversion to the truth about His Kingdom.

Then, at the end of time, He will now separate the good from the bad.

This is what the liturgy presents to us that God is a patient just judge, who gives us time to repent of our evil ways of life, and the Holy Spirit helps us to achieve this conversion.

Let us be patient with one another because God is patient with us.

Peace ✌️ be with you.

Rev. Fr. Segun Oladeji, CRS.