HOMILY FOR THE 16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A. (5)

HOMILY FOR THE 16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A.

THEME: God’s Patience and Our Human Weakness.

BY: Fr. Luke Ijezie

Wisdom 12:13,16-19
Resp. Psalm 86:5-6,9-10,15-16
Romans 8:26-27
Matthew 13:24-43

God knows our weakness. He understands. He is ever ready to give us another chance. This conviction about God gives us great courage in our daily struggles. We come to God with confidence because we know He is ever patient with us even when we repeatedly offend Him. The psalmist says it clearly: “If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered (Psalm 130:3-4). This sums up the ideas in the readings of this sixteenth Sunday of the year.

1. The first reading from Wisd 12:13,16-19 highlights and praises God’s immense power which He balances with His great liniency. The greater the power the more lenient He appears. The psalmist of Psalm 86 qualifies God as merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and fidelity. These are the qualities God wants us to acquire in order to live in harmony with one another.

2. The second reading from Rom 8:26-27 goes further to show how God not only treats us with leniency but sends His Spirit to come to our aid when weakness takes the upper hand over us. Even when we are too weak to ask for help, the Spirit prays on our behalf in ways we can hardly understand or explain.
3. God’s forbearance is further explained with the three parables in today’s Gospel from Matt 13:24-43. The parable of the good seed growing among weeds addresses the problem of evil, why God does not readily uproot evil doers and evil forces from the world. While the weeds can never produce good fruit, the owner allows them to grow in order not to injure the growth of the good seed in the event of uprooting them. This is a great lesson in tolerance, though it is difficultit is to cohabit with evil doers. The other two parables of the mustard seed and the yeast show that growth and perfection in the Christian life take gradual process. Our imperfections should not discourage us. The mustard seed was the smallest of all trees but it gradually grows to become the largest of plants to the extent of providing shelter for birds of all kinds.

4. Many people get demobilised by the consciousness of their weakness, lack of means and unworthiness. But one thing is that before God, no one is worthy and no one is strong. God is our only strength. So weakness should not deter or discourage us, because the God we worship gives His people strength. Even today, when hopelessness and helplessness seem to characterise the lives of many injured society, God is telling us that He is still at work among us, with us and in us. One only needs to trust Him and live coherently.
May we continue to feel the power of God in our moments of weakness and discouragement!

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