Theme

Sixteenth Sunday of the Year *20^thJuly 2008*
Theme :	*‘Small Beginnings –Little ways!’*
1st. Reading:	Wisdom 12: 13, 16-19
2nd Reading:	Romans 8: 26-27
Gospel :	Matthew 13: 24-43

Dear Friend,

We have a tendency to evaluate, judge and categorize people into water-tight compartments: People are good or bad, saints or sinners! Yet we know that human beings are complex people and cannot easily be categorized and judged by their external behaviour alone. All of us are a mixture of good and bad. As far as we ourselves are concerned, we have to look for small beginnings and sow seeds of goodness while nipping evil in the bud. As far as others are concerned, we should be patient and leave judgement to God. Have a grateful weekend thanking the patient God of small things!

Fr. Jude Botelho

The Book of Wisdom speaks of God’s knowledge and power to root out evil people if he so desired. This reading speaks of God’s leniency towards the evil ones and how we ought to imitate it. The context provides examples of God’s mercy: his forbearance towards the Egyptians and the Cannanites. Even the punishment inflicted by God on the people for their sins was not meant to be an arbitrary display of God’s power but rather that the people might give up their evil ways, repent and come back to God. Thus the virtuous man must be kind and non judgemental towards his fellowman, imitating the God whose power is tempered by his mercy. This should make all of us hopeful of his mercy in our weakness and failings.

A flawed good human being
Many people were inspired by the story of Oskar Schindler, the German industrialist, who saved over a thousand Polish Jews from the concentration camps. One of the people he saved said of him, “He was our father, our mother, our only hope. He never let us down.” Yet many who saw the film Schindler’s List were surprised, if not put off, by his vices. He was a man endowed with the human vices. Unfaithful to his wife, he certainly knew how to enjoy the so called good life -cigars, drink, women. He was a Catholic, but in name only. He was also a member of the Nazi party. He exploited the Jews as a source of cheap labour. But there was another side of him, and in spite of his lapses, he always returned to his better side. There was a basic goodness about him. At great personal risk he protected his workers from the death camps, thereby showing that he was undoubtedly a courageous man. But Schindler was no angel. He was a mere human being, an essential good human being, though his goodness was seriously flawed.
Flor McCarthy in ‘New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies’

In the second reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, Paul writing to the Romans exhorts them not to give up prayer because there are weak and sinful or because they do not know how to pray. True prayer is not merely our human effort but rather God’s spirit within us that teaches and helps us to call God our Father and reach out to him. It is His spirit in us that enables us to call God, ‘Abba Father’. The most important effect of the action of the Spirit living in us is the ability to pray. Without God we cannot pray, without God we cannot live! Even in our sinfulness, when we pray there is one who comes to our aid and at the point of our deepest needs helps us to reach out to our Abba Father.

The parable of the weeds is one of the seven parables illustrating the Kingdom of God in Matthew’s gospel. In today’s gospel Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a field in which the weeds are growing side by side with the good crop. It is intended by Matthew to be a description of the Church, which is made up not only of the elect, but also of sinners. It is made up of saints as well as those who are steeped in sin, all in need of the benevolent mercy of God. The original point of the parables is the call of repentance, it is never too late to repent. God gives us all sinners ample time to repent and change our lives. He does not uproot us and destroy us in our sinfulness but bides his time. Because of his mercy and tolerance we can always come back to him. His mercy tempers his justice in dealing with sinners. The example of the farmer who allows the weeds to grow with the wheat points to God’s patience in dealing with sinners. He abhors sin but loves the sinner and his compassionate mercy is everlasting. But the harvest time will come and so we cannot abuse God’s mercy forever and delay our conversion. At the same time we have to be tolerant and compassionate towards the evil doer and leave judgement and condemnation in God’s hands.

Small Beginnings
Once upon a time a crowd of young people (in this day and age folks under thirty five) poured out of the five o’clock Saturday afternoon mass and promptly engaged in a fierce argument, the kind that one hears sometimes between Cubs fans and Sox fans. They were members of a young adult group who went around doing good things. They were admirable, dedicated, and enthusiastic men and women of whom the pastor said they were a credit to the parish – all the time keeping his fingers crossed for fear that they might take the parish away from him. They were arguing about their Sunday morning project. Normally they tutored inner city high school students who were preparing for college boards. However, there was also an environmental demonstration that day. The more liberal young people insisted that the environmental protest was more important. The more conservative young people said that they had a solemn obligation to help the minority students make it into college. Neither side would budge an inch. So right there in front of Church after the liturgy they all lost their tempers. The team broke into two groups. Both sides insisted they would never work with the other again. They departed very angry. The young priest who heard the argument shook his head in dismay I don’t think either side understand what the liturgy means.
Andrew M. Greeley

While the first part of the Gospel deals with the parable of the weeds with the allegorical interpretation of its meaning and explanation of the presence of evil in the world and God’s attitude towards evil and the sinner, the latter part of the gospel concludes with two other mini parables: the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the yeast mixed with the dough. What all the three parables seem to have in common is the importance of small and apparently insignificant things in life and in God’s plan. The tiny weed planted by evil intentions can destroy much good in our lives. Conversely, goodness and good deeds even though they be as small as a mustard seed, can grow and have positive repercussions. Similarly, the parable of the yeast in the dough points to the potential of good deeds impacting the environment that surrounds us. Both sin and goodness have not merely personal consequences but a social impact as well.

Evil is deceptive
Hitler misled hundreds of people with his megalomaniac thoughts of Aryan supremacy and hatred of the Jews. Only when he was defeated did people realize that they had been taken for a ride by Hitler and his philosophy. Albert Speer was an important member of the Nazi hierarchy during Hitler’s reign. He was Hitler’s architect and minister of armaments, munitions and war productions. After the defeat of Hitler, he was tried at Nurenberg for crimes against humanity and subsequently condemned to serve twenty years in prison. Albert was one of the most intelligent, educated and principles persons in Germany. How was he captivated by Hitler’s magnetism to accept such bizarre and evil ideologies? During his trial he took responsibility for the horrors of the Nazi regime, although most of the time he was not aware of the happenings around. Later in life, he sincerely regretted his association with Hitler. He could still not explain completely why he subscribed to Hitler’s evil ways. Only the colossal fall of Hitler and Germany freed him from his pact with Hitler’s evil and made him realize the magnitude of the evil.
John Rose in ‘John’s Sunday Homilies’

Confronting Evil -Films ‘Harry Potter and the Socerer’s Stone’ & ‘End of Days’
At Harry's final confrontation with Voldemort, the bad guy, Voldemort begins to pretend to be kind to Harry. He tells Harry that he could have eternal life if he kept the Stone, and says that if he joined him instead of fighting him, he could have the things he desired most. Continuing, Voldemort tells him "There is no Good and Evil, there is only power and those too weak to seek it." Harry seems to be tempted to succumb for a moment, but then in a realization of truth he yells that Voldemort is a liar. At that point Voldemort stops trying to convince him and they enter "hand to hand combat." This is an excellent clip that shows a perfect portrayal of the arguments Satan uses on believers: the lure of material happiness, and the blurring of the line between sin and righteousness. Harry does what we hope any good Christian would: scream in the enemy's face that he is a liar. - Lindsay Braman

Film –End of Days
The movie has an apocalyptic theme that centers around the idea of Satan attempting to take full control of the world. Near the end, after a countless barrage of gunfights and explosions, Arnold and the woman he is protecting enter a church, knowing that Satan is hot on their trail. The scene turns very powerful as Arnold, holding a huge gun in his arms, looks around the church and sees various images and statues. He throws his gun on the floor, closes his eyes, and opens his arms (crucifixion?) and prays, "Please help me." Without giving too much away, Satan is defeated -- not by violence -- but by "a more excellent way." - Rev. Duane Partin (‘Text this Week-Images and Films’)

Reflecting on the years spent in Labour camps, Alexander Solhenitsyn has this to say: “I learnt one great lesson from my years in prison camps. I learnt how a person becomes evil and how he becomes good. Gradually I came to realize that the line that separates good from evil passes not between states, or between classes, or between political parties, but right through every human heart. Even in hearts that are overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained. And in the best of hearts, there remains an unuprooted small corner of evil.” –(Gulag Archipelago)

May even our simplest action and smallest deed witness of God’s life in us!

Fr. Jude Botelho
judebotelho@niscort.com

P.S. :The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in these reflections. I would be happy if you could link this website to your own parish/diocesan/institutional website. If you wish to receive these reflections by e-mail, or send them to a friend, do send in the e-mail address to <jude@netforlife.plus.com>

Other Sunday Homily Websites

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Daily Reflections

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Gospel Commentary from Ireland

Daily Scripture Readings

www.usccb.org/nab/today.htm

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