Seeds And Weeds

HOMILY NOTES

FR. TERRY RYAN, CSP

MT. 13: 24-43

JULY 19, 2020

I grew up in a church of cause and effect.  I did something wrong.  God was going to punish me unless I got to confession first.  So we all  stopped play on Saturday afternoons and went off to confession at church.  If one were really bad, then that person could not receive communion on Sunday without confession first. To not receive on Sunday would be embarrassing.  Questions might be asked later.  Cause and effect church.  I only found out years later, when coming to understand parables like these, that God is much more forgiving and patient and loving than the old cause and effect God I grew up with.  

I was often like the weed intertwined with the good seed church people.  In the gospel, the workers want to be rid of bad seed.  That would be like those church people, who prefer a smaller and purer church.  That would not include me.  But God is more like the owner who is OK with all kinds of stuff in the field.  Like the owner, God is patient and accepting.  Maybe those who do a lot of bad things will begin to do more good than bad.  They will reveal change by action, virtue, become more like God in kindness, acceptance of all kinds of different people.  Notice, none of this comes about or requires confession 

Talk about change!  Look at the mustard seed.  It is a weed.  Many people would have no patience with it, find it a nuisance and want to be rid of it.  But God can make stuff happen to mustard seeds.  The mustard seed grows up be to a tree to shade and house birds.  So maybe I am a miracle in process, from a nuisance, to being able to do much good for others, like maybe this homily?  

Do let us not judge mustard seed and weeds, or people.  Give them a chance to reveal the miracle of God at work, not just in them but in us who withheld judgment and became surprised at how narrow was our view.  What about the woman baker you ask?  Well, her abundance of bread says that there will enough for everyone.  May our church be enough for everyone!