A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.”
cf. Lk 6:45
The wheat and the weeds
Christians have no need to fear the work of the enemy, the evil one. In the genius of divine providence, God even permits evil to manifest his power by drawing forth some greater good (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 412). Christian obedience entails letting them “grow together until harvest,” and refusing to put our “trust in deceitful words.”
Such are the words from today’s MAGNIFICAT on this Saturday of the 16th week in Ordinary Time. These words refer also to today’s Mass readings from the thirteenth chapter in Matthew’s Gospel, where we read the parable of the wheat and weeds. It’s timely guidance from our friends at MAGNIFICAT Magazine.
On the 8th anniversary of the murder of French priest Fr. Jacques Hamel (see our article Heroic Priesthood, July 26, 2024 ), where his throat was slit at the altar as he celebrated Mass in his church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, and in a shocking display of irreverence, 2024 Paris Olympics organizers and NBC executives – the global media brand and outlet televising the worldwide event – somehow thought it was a good idea to mock the over one billion Catholics, and roughly 2.5 billion Christians everywhere, with a troubling and grotesque depiction of The Last Supper. I need not go into detail. The images speak for themselves.
The question is, does the events of July 26, 2024 shock you? If our sensibilities are not moved then either we’ve become immune or oblivious to the images we see today. Neither are good. Perhaps we are filled with shock and rage. I submit neither of those reactions are good also.
Evil today is on full display. What was once the subversive, but subliminal, work of anti-Christian elements of society is now allowed to be broadcast to millions around the globe. Such is the state of how far we’ve come.
Yet the images should remind us of two things. First, as Jesus tells us himself in the Gospel of John, chapter 15, “Before the world hated you, they hated me first” (cf Jn 15:18). Secondly, we are reminded that we are meant to live among the wheat and the weeds.
Now, let’s be clear, we are not calling the people who were likely paid actors on stage the weeds of our society. The weeds, as the parable suggest, is the evil sown by Satan; and when we know not what we do, Satan can use good people for his evil purposes.
In today’s Gospel reading from the Liturgy of the Word at Mass (Mt 13:24-30) we see the enemy at work. But it is in this same parable that we must not forget the good seed God sows in his field. We are called to be rich soil for this good seed. As rich soil we are called to allow the seed to take deep root in us and in our lives. As we grow, we are called to transform the world around us. Not an easy task in any age but that’s our task as Christians.
This starts at home. But, first, it must start in our own heart.
If God’s seed has not sunk deeply in our heart, if our heart is not rich soil and is instead rocky ground, then we are at risk of being overcome by the world, and the Word of God getting choked off in our lives. When we allow evil to use us for its purposes, we’ve become instruments of evil.
This happens when we allow things like politics or current events, or cults of personalities like celebrities and politicians, to invade our mind and consume our attention. When all we do is fill our mind with the news of the day, when we don’t take time to visit the Classroom of Silence each day in quiet prayer and reflection, when we’ve never opened the Bible and allowed God’s Word to take hold of our lives, is it any wonder we see mocking images of our Christian faith on a world stage like the Olympic Games, no less?
As Christians, we must lead with beauty and truth and goodness. Beauty outshines the ugliness of our day. Truth penetrates the heart against the lies of the present Age. Goodness overcomes evil.
We are called to love and to open our hearts. As the late Francis Cardinal George said, “…When our hearts are open the Lord can change and transform us, so that one day we can speak with love about the One who is love.”
The blatantly open hostility we see for God and the Christian faith is a good in that it allows people to see for themselves what is truly on display. We can’t dismiss it anymore as, “Oh, that’s not what they meant.” It’s obvious. The enemy is no longer hidden in his work. People now can see the dividing line and choose.
Perhaps we are meant to.
Let us pray for hearts to be open to the love of Christ. Let us be the grain of wheat used for God’s purposes (see our article Gospel Reflections | Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies (Jn 12:20-33) ). Let us die to self and live for true life.
Peace be with you! 
Disciple of Christ | Son of the Church
As Christians, we must lead with beauty and truth and goodness. Beauty outshines the ugliness of our day. Truth penetrates the heart against the lies of the present Age. Goodness overcomes evil.”
Gospel
LISTEN: Let them grow together until harvest.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 13:24-30
Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “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 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.”’”
The Gospel of the Lord.
REFLECTION
by Bishop Robert Barron
Friends, our Gospel today is the parable of the wheat and the weeds. God sows his good seed, his word, his love and compassion, but his project is met with opposition. And the evil is such that it insinuates itself right into the very fabric of the good.
In classical theology, we speak of evil as a privatio boni, a privation of the good, meaning that evil is always and everywhere parasitic on the good. Just as a parasite is living off of the healthy body (and thereby weakening it), so moral evil lives off of the good soul, the good society, the good Church (and thereby weakens them).
What is the result? That it is exceptionally difficult to extricate the evil from the good without damaging the good. That’s why it is extremely difficult—and often counterproductive—to go after these evils with a crusading spirit.
To be sure, there are certain evils that simply have to be addressed—right now, no questions, no hesitations. But there are other evils (and they really are evil) that are best left alone for the time being, lest more damage is done in the process of extricating them.
Credit: Daily Gospel Reflections, by Bishop Robert Barron, Saturday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time (Cycle B); Word on Fire, https://www.wordonfire.org.
Information herein posted under the "rules of fair use" to foster education and discussion in accordance with Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976.
Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition are the two lungs of the Christian life. Trying to live out this life with only one lung is inviting a life of labored breathing. Breathe in the fullness of life that God breathed into his Church!”
from the author, Reason2bCatholic: A Cradle Catholic Guide to the Good, True, and Beautiful of the Catholic faith.
Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”
Saint Jerome (ca. 347 – 420 A.D.), Father and Doctor of the Church
Be not afraid! And may the peace of Christ be with you and your loved ones today and always. Holy Family, pray for us. Amen.
