16th Sunday Ordinary Time - Fr. Leo

In the gospel God lets his sun and rain fall on the just and the unjust.  The weeds will be separated latter and thrown out.  Thus the wheat won’t be pulled up prematurely. For me this is a call to patience.  At times when I consider myself wheat, I want the weeds destroyed now!  But would that be best?  What then would I contribute to the transformation of the world into the Kingdom of God?   

Perhaps the waiting allows for grace to transform the weeds into grain.  And, I may need to play a part in that by turning the other cheek and offering forgiveness and love in hopes of a change of heart in the sinner.

Also, I must be grateful for the patience.  For there are times when I am the one who needs to be transformed.  It may be best for me to work on the plank in my own eye before I work on the speck in others eyes.  Gratitude for the time allowed becomes graced time, time to experience the power of the Spirit and how it brings me deeper into the wonderful mystery of my God.

It is best for us in this time before harvest to embrace Paul’s advice when we pray.  To simply let our groaning for what is good, coming from deep inside us, be our prayer.  And the more undefined it is the better.  Then we are open for God’s light to shine where we least expect it to shine.  We become one with the light and a source of light for those who need it most.  May such blessed mysticism be ours!