Brothers and Sisters,

Today, we begin the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time of the Year. Our Scripture readings last Sunday called us to be faithful to who we are called to be and do what we are called to do.  The Scripture readings of this Sunday call us to be patient as we faithfully try to be ourselves and go about doing our daily chores and fulfilling our responsibilities. The first reading of this Sunday speaks of our God being lenient and patient, giving us time to realize our mistakes, repent, change and grow. The responsorial psalm speaks of God as merciful, gracious and patient, slow to anger and abounding in kindness. Saint Paul speaks of God giving us his spirit to help us in our weakness (Second Reading). And Jesus calls us to be patient and cautious in making choices as it is often difficult to distinguish between good and bad (Gospel Reading).

The Gospel reading gives us the parable of Jesus about a man sowing good seed in his field.  While he slept, an enemy sowed darnel or tares in the middle of his field. Both the good and the bad seeds sprouted, and the servants came forward to pull up the tares. But the man asked them to let them grow together to maturity for fear of destroying the good seed in the process of removing the bad. At harvest time, the good and the bad will be separated by those who know how to sort them out (Mathew 13:30-35). The farmer had the wisdom to be patient and wait for an appropriate time when good choices and proper discernment can be made.

On another occasion, Jesus gave us another parable about a man scattering seed on the ground (Mark 4:26-29). “He goes to bed and gets up day after day. Through it all, the seed sprouts and grows without his knowing how it happens. The soil produces, of itself, first the blade, then the ear, finally the ripe wheat in the ear. When the crop is ready, he wields the sickle for the time is ripe for harvest.”  The seed that is sowed in the field grows, of itself, without the Sower being aware of it.  The farmer must wait patiently for a good harvest. The farmer does all that he needs to do and waits patiently for harvest to happen! He doesn’t make the harvest happen.

It has never been easy to be patient, but it is probably harder now than at any time in history as we are living in a world where messages and information can be sent across the world instantly and everything is available with only a few clicks of the mouse or an 800 number. We are now going through a very difficult period in our history. Anxieties, doubts, fears, and uncertainties surround us. We do not know what the future holds for us. We do not see an end to our present problems any time soon. We have reason to be impatient and that is where patience counts the most.

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