A Message from Fr. Jay
Dear Friends,
Like last Sunday’s gospel, this week Jesus tells a parable and provides its explanation as well. Continuing the reflection from last week on seeds spilt all over with an expectation of bringing out fruit of thirty, sixty and hundred folds, this week we find an interesting parable of wheat and weeds.
One day, a brave elderly Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. “My little one, all of us live with two wolves within. One wolf is gentle, peace-loving, serene and humble. The other is violent, greedy, resentful, and proud. There is a constant battle between the two ‘wolves’ inside each of us. The grandson thought about it for a moment and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?” The old Cherokee replied, “The one you feed.”
The parable of the wheat and the weeds (Gospel) hints at each of us being “fertile soil” for both wheat and weeds. Jesus calls us to invest our patience in growing the good seed in us rather than becoming anxious about eliminating weeds. By nature, the web of weeds is so complex, instantly and easily creeping all over, faster than a seed sprouting at a normal speed. We become so worried about the growth of the weeds and fail to see the strength of the good seed and the fertile soil.
Jesus tells us to continue to be resilient in strengthening our soil and seed by relying on the power of God. We do whatever we consider to be the elements of the Kingdom of God (that could even be the size of a mustard seed – small and tiny, yet we are determined to do so) …and God will consider how to eliminate the elements of evil.
All humans are the seeds of God, and therefore, He considers them with clemency and kindness (Reading I and Responsorial Psalm). The Holy Spirit comes to our aid to remove our weakness when we have to suffer with evils (Reading II).
Our objective is to feed the good wolf in us with the help of the Holy Spirit!
Things to ponder during the week:
Do I pray to the Holy Spirit to strengthen me when I feel that I am entangled with evil things in/around me?
Am I able to differentiate humans from their evil policies, practices, and actions?
Could I consider with kindness someone that needs help in my family?
