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16th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2008The world in which we live is full of good things and bad things. It is no earth shattering thing to realise this fact. We look around and see the good things, in ourselves and the world. But there are also many bad things: nations at war; people going hungry, violence in the streets, loneliness in the cities, these are some of the things that people face. The Gospel of today’s Mass puts it beautifully: wheat growing up amongst weeds in a field is the way the world is. It is a beautiful observation. Sometimes we would want a perfect world, a perfect life, a perfect set of circumstances. It seems that we are not going to get it. It is the nature of our lives that we are growing amongst weeds in the field. Just as we cannot take our life off to some perfect place where there is no difficulties, so we cannot live our lives except in the world where there are difficult things all around us and difficult things inside us as well. Last Sunday we heard about seeds scattered by the sower: some seeds are carried off by the birds, some land on rocky ground, some land where there is little soil, some seeds are choked by thorns. It was a parable about how we receive God’s message into our lives, we hope that the seeds finds rich soil in our lives. This Sunday’s parable takes the image further, the seed has become the sheaf of wheat growing in the field besides the weeds. The difficulty is not to be choked by the weeds or to become like those things you grow with. We are commanded by God to grow in the world in which we live. In this world there are hard moral choices. In this world there are terrible temptations. In this world you could quite easily go off the beaten track. In this world you could trade doing the right thing for popularity to be like those around you. But you cannot be any other place than in the world. It is here that we are meant to meet the challenges, it is here that we are to be true, it is here that we are to grow up tall and strong. We have not reached heaven yet. We are in the world. It would so easy to become like everyone in the world, no different. We are called on to be different. To be here is different. To pray is different. To keep the commandments is different. To read the Gospel and live by it is different. To follow Jesus is different. To be baptised is different. To receive Holy Communion is different. We are living in the world like anyone else but we are different. The parable reminds us to be different,: to stand out, not to be swallowed up or swayed by things round about us. We are to grow up tall and strong. Prayers of the Faithful 16th Sunday in OTPriestGod is the source of all things. We ask him to continue to care for all his creation IntercessorFor Pope Benedict who is in Australia, that his words may awaken the gift of faith in the young. Lord hear usFor the gift of strong faith, especially in the world where it would be easy to be led astray Lord hear usFor the light of wisdom from God to make good decisions and right moral choices. Lord hear usThat we will be armed with faith, hope and charity in the struggles and temptations of life. Lord hear usFor all children who are baptised, that they may come to experience the new life of grace given to them through this sacrament. Lord hear usFor all who have died and who have gone to God in the hope of rising again. Lord hear usPriestIn the great sacrament of baptism we are born into a new life, we die to sin and rise with you. Help us in the daily trials of life to live the new life of grace promised in the sacrament. |