16th Sunday, Ordinary Time

 


SIXTEENTH SUNDAY, ORDINARY TIME


You have to appreciate the patience of the property owner. He’s committed to allowing the weeds and the wheat to grow side by side (Matt. 13:30). They’ll remain side by side, at least until the time comes for gathering up the harvest. All things being equal, he would prefer to see the emergence of wheat, rather than weeds. Generally speaking, weeds are never a welcome sight. We understand that weeds are part of the equation. But we take measures to limit the outbreak of weeds, and their subsequent spread. For example, we might make use of a product like Round-Up. By adopting the appropriate measure, we’ll be able to bring in a more satisfying yield. 


Meanwhile, we hear something about the subject of prayer in this passage from Romans. Paul describes a process through which the Holy Spirit provides a form of enhancement to our practice of prayer (8:26). This would seem to represent good news. After all, if we’re being honest, we’ll have to admit that the prayers we offer sometimes look more like weeds than like stalks of wheat. Prayers can be rushed. They can come across as mechanical. All too often, they become materialistic, self-centered, even grasping. Furthermore, they flow in a one-way direction: we have our say, but the Lord never gets the opportunity to say anything. 


Some of you will remember a Janis Joplin song called “Mercedes Benz.”  If you review the lyrics, you’ll see that they read like a prayer—a somewhat defective prayer. It’s about material gain, centering more on want than need. There’s nothing that would reflect a sense of gratitude. There is no consideration for what a neighbor might be facing. The objective here is not to condemn Janis Joplin. Rather, we’re being called to look within ourselves. The task is to explore whether or not we could be falling into the same pattern. 


First of all, take a look at the contents. Is it all about want over and against need? Can it be characterized as a self-absorbed prayer? Overly materialistic? Overly stacked with petitions, and no offering of thanks? A one-sided conversation? If you’re feeling confident about the contents, then what about the approach? Are these prayers rushed? Are you simply getting them out of the way so that you can proceed with other activities? Do you permit an excess of distraction? Are they expressed mechanically? 


Perhaps you will want to be in touch with the Holy Spirit. The hope is that you will first of all acknowledge the Holy Spirit. Then, along with acknowledging the Spirit, you should also be in the habit of invoking the Holy Spirit. With the help of the Spirit you will be producing less in the way of weeds and more in the way of wheat. This weekend’s Old Testament reading celebrates the fact that our God has been revealed to us as a God of clemency (Wis. 12:18). And yet, we don’t want to presume upon that clemency by delivering up weeds when we could be delivering up rations of wheat. 

Popular posts from this blog

Welcome

 These are text versions of the sermons I have prepared for the Sundays of the calendar year. I am a Catholic priest of the diocese of Gaylord (Michigan), ordained in 1997. 
Read more

Second Sunday of Easter [B]

Image
  SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER  You will find that some Bible passages have a way of explaining themselves. These verses come across as straight-forward. You don’t need any help forming your interpretation. But then you make your way into the First Letter of St. John. Chapter five outlines a series of witnesses; referred to as the Spirit, the Water, and the Blood (5:6-8). Jesus comes to us by way of the Spirit, by way of the Water, and by way of the Blood. Upon consulting the commentaries you discover that scholarly opinion remains divided, regarding this selection. A definitive interpretation has not yet been reached. Generally, however, speculation has leaned in the direction of the Jordan River, with Jesus stepping forward to be baptized.   If you pray the Rosary, this ranks as the first of the Luminous Mysteries. You know that this mystery centers around the symbol of water. You know also that the Holy Spirit becomes visible in the image of a dove (Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10). Two of the wit
Read more

Passion Sunday [B]

Image
  PASSION SUNDAY Because we are in the “B” cycle, this year’s Passion reading will come from the Gospel of St. Mark. Last year, with cycle “A,” we heard St. Matthew’s account. Next year, observing cycle “C,” we will hear from St. Luke. If you are wondering about St. John, we spend time in his Gospel every year, especially during the seasons of Lent and Easter. As for Mark, his Gospel bears a resemblance to both Matthew and Luke. These are called the “Synoptic Gospels,” because they appear to be synchronized around a common body of source material. We find plenty in the way of similarities, but we also find peculiarities---elements that are unique to each of the Synoptics. For example, with regard to Mark’s version of the Passion, attention is called to a particular young man who panics as the authorities come to arrest Jesus. He, likewise, very nearly gets apprehended, but they manage only to grip the hem of his tunic. The unnamed disciple slips out of his garment and runs off into the
Read more