Heaven bound – Tuesday, 17th week in ordinary time- Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori – Matthew 13: 36-43
Any community of faith does not live in isolation; it lives within the world where corruption does attempt to make its home among believers. Often we see such elements within the Church, elements that cause scandal among believers, leaving believers wondering why God permits such happenings.
We would all like a perfect world but that is not how reality plays out. There are weeds and wheat in the kingdom of God and often the darnel (weeds) looks exactly like the wheat. Sure we would like to weed out the rot but then there is always a risk that the wheat might also be uprooted. Should collateral damage be ok in the Church? Can a few good Christians take a hit if the larger majority of sinners can be eradicated?
Jesus’ solution is one of wait and watch; He advocates patience, tolerance and forbearance for the kingdom of God is a mixed bag of saints and sinner on earth. While some on earth may live in the delusion that the corruption of death is a far way calling, the reality is that death comes like a thief in the night. The justice of God exists but not in our time, in His time.
Jesus, in explaining this parable to the disciples is making a point; that divine judgment will be delivered but that judgment is His to make and not for us to usurp. Often, members of the Church feel compelled to eradicate, what seems to the human mind, as a sinful brother or sister. Gathering in and weeding out the sinners of the world is not ours; that is for the reapers or His angelic agents as in the parable of the dragnet.
Fr. Warner D'Souza is a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Bombay. He has served in the parishes of St Michael's (Mahim), St Paul's (Dadar East), Our Lady of Mount Carmel, (Bandra), a ten year stint as priest-in-charge at St Jude Church (Malad East) and at present is the Parish Priest at St Stephen's Church (Cumballa Hill). He is also the Director of the Archdiocesan Heritage Museum and is the co-ordinator of the Committee for the Promotion and Preservation of the Artistic and Historic Patrimony of the Church.
Excellent explanation Warner!
I am one of those who doubts the injustice thriving around us. But, i also know the world is alive because of the few who are good exemplary people.
To me going to the confessional has always been a problem. Firstly, I feel isn’t being sincerely and truly sorry not enough.
Confession surely unburdens and cleans your life but what about the feeling that you have the chance to sin because you have the choice to confess.
Well the bad news is that sin will exist as long as the evil one exists and he does. Confession is not an unburdening as much as it is a surrendering to God’s move and mercy. The hard part is accepting that God can love us no matter what. Does that give us permission to keep sinning? Absolutely not. The spiritual life is a journey, not moment of me being good or bad by which I am judged. I am judged by the whole of my journey and that journey is often a struggle.
Try the confessional with an open heart of true repentance not a swipe card that wipes clean a debt of guilt and sin. Sit with a priest friend and chat it out. At the end of it all you get an absolution which is grace filled. Grace helps us to go and face our sin, but this time not alone, for HE is with us.
Will you fall again, probably. But this time you will notice that the period you held out against the evil one was longer than the last. Slowly you will overcome, one baby step at a time. God loves baby steps. No wonder we are His children.
Thank you for the reflection. I liked the following :
What we do on this earth counts and matters both in this world and the world to come. We are after all heaven bound.