SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

19 JULY 2026

 

          Last Sunday, Jesus told a parable about the power of God’s Word.  He used the image of a sower sowing seed generously and abundantly.  Unlike most farmers who would be careful about where they would sow such expensive seed, this sower sows seed everywhere.  He sows the seed on rocky ground, on soil with little depth for growth, and in the midst of thorn bushes that would choke off the growth.  In this parable, Jesus encourages us to provide rich soil by opening our hearts to the word sown in us.  He promises an abundant harvest for those whose hearts are broken open, like soil broken open by plowing to welcome the seed that is sown.

            Today, he continues his agricultural setting with another parable.  As promised, the seeds sown have produced fruit.  The wheat is growing.  But, the enemy has sown weeds in the midst of the kingdom.  Even if we have been open to the word of God sown into our hearts, we know the painful reality of evil in our world.  We see evil more clearly in other people and everywhere in our world.  With this image of weeds sown in our midst, we are tempted to divide the world in terms of good and bad.  In this world view, there are good people who do many good things and bad people who do bad things.

            However, life is not that simple.  Lots of “good people” can be arrogant and prideful.  “Bad people” can surprise us and do something good.  That is why Jesus tells us to allow God to make the judgment in the end.  In the meantime, we must live with the good and the bad. Unlike plants, people can change.  That is why the sower wasted so much good seed.  The Lord gives people a chance to repent.  Instead of judging people and avoiding them, he wants us to separate what they do from who they are – human beings made in the image and likeness of God.  We must do whatever is possible to allow them to turn toward the Lord and seek his mercy.  Most importantly, we need to be honest about the weeds that are part of each one of us.  All of us have weeds that impair the growth of good fruit in our lives.  If we have the courage to see those weeds in ourselves rather than focusing on the weeds of others, we can receive the Lord’s mercy, especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and turn more completely to the Lord.  

            It takes a lot of patience to refrain from judging others and leaving judgment to the Lord.  But patient waiting helps us to face the time of harvest – not only the harvest that will end our own personal lives, but also the harvest of God’s judgment at the end of time.  Notice that God’s judgment ultimately ends in fire – burning those who have stubbornly turned away from the love of God, but allowing the just to be so transparent that the ultimate fire of God’s love brilliantly shines through them as saints.  In Catholic theology, we have another image for God’s love.  When we speak of Purgatory, we remember the Latin roots of the word:  the fire of God’s love burning away what separates us from God and all the saints, even after our death.

            Jesus knows that patient waiting is not easy.  For that reason, he gives us two more images from daily life.  The first is the mustard seed.  Just as the proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven began with only twelve apostles, so do the “mustard seeds” of our acts of kindness shine the light of the Kingdom in our world.  The Kingdom depends on God, and not on us.  But our willingness to forgive and move past hurts and rejections sheds light in a world darkened by revenge and hatred.  The second example is yeast.  When a woman mixes a little bit of yeast with three measures of flour, she can feed over a hundred people.  Living our Baptismal Promises opens the flour of our lives to the yeast of the Holy Spirit, giving hope in the midst of despair and life in the midst of death.  Waiting for God’s judgment may be difficult.  But our mustard seed actions and loving yeast help us to wait in joyful hope for the coming of the Lord.

 

FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

12 JULY 2026

 

          The seed sowing valuable seed everywhere, even in those places least hospitable to plants growing.  Echoing the Prophet Isaiah, Jesus says that God’s word is like rain and snow coming down on everyone, no matter who they are or what they are doing.  The Lord sows his word on rocky ground, where the hardness offers little chance for survival.  The Word falls on shallow soil, where the seed has difficulty putting down deep roots for continued growth.  The Word falls among thorns, threatening its growth by choking it out.  But the Word also falls on rich soil and produces fruit at an astounding amount of growth – up to a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. 

            All farmers and gardeners know that good soil is broken soil.  Before planting, soil needs to be tilled and turned to break through the cold winter hardness.  Soil needs to be cracked open to absorb the spring rain.  Broken soil allows seeds to take root and blossom in the rich nutrients of the dark, wet earth.

            We know from that seeds of grace and hope grow in us if we allow our soil to be broken.  Our soil is broken when we open our hearts to the love of God and the needs of our brothers and sisters.  Opening our hearts will always lead to being broken soil.  Our hearts are broken when we experience tragedy and loss.  They are broken when we open our hearts to others and suffer rejection.  High school students who suffer ridicule because of religion or culture or race know the reality of broken hearts.  But they can share those broken hearts with younger students who suffer similar rejections and offer a harvest of justice that is planted.  Couples who live together in matrimony find that their sharp differences in personality will cause pain and division.  But they also learn that loving one another and growing together in their differences can create a bond that is unbreakable.  Out of their broken soil, they produce much fruit in their sons and daughters and all who know them.

            Today, the Lord invites us to reflect on how our hearts, open to love of God and neighbor, have been broken soil to produce much fruit.  But the Lord also challenges us to offer the Word of God to others.  It is easy to share our faith and our broken soil people who will appreciate them.  But, we also need to share in the Lord’s sowing, even to people who seem to have stony hearts, or shallow lives that seem to be shallow, or those people who surround themselves with all kinds of thorny issues that might quickly choke off any faith.

            Deacon Mel and I have been talking about our religious education programs at Saint Augustine.  The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd bears much fruit, thanks to the broken soil of the teachers.  Our high school program is growing, thanks to Deacon Mel and Annie opening their hearts to the young people.  We will offer other programs in the future.

            Now we need a robust effort to draw more people into our community.  We need to develop the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA).  Many area parishes welcomed lots of people at this year’s Easter Vigil.  These parishes have been developing their programs for many years.  We can begin now by sowing the seeds of faith from our broken soil to others.  Those who have never been baptized will be known as Catechumens.  OCIA will prepare them to receive the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil:  Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.  Those baptized in other Christian religions can be prepared to be received into full communion with us and receive Confirmation and Eucharist.  Now is the time for us to join the sower of the Word of God by sharing our broken soil widely and openly.  Now is the time to invite others to join us and go through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.

 

 

FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

5 JULY 2026

 

          The prophet Zechariah addresses the people of Jerusalem as “O Daughter Zion” and “O daughter Jerusalem.” He tells them to rejoice heartily and shout for joy.  Their defeat at the hands of their enemies is over.  Zechariah has reminded them that they had been defeated because they had abandoned the Covenant.  But, God had continued to love them, even in their infidelity, and he has forgiven them.  Now he promises that a king will come.  He will be just, a savior, and meek.  Unlike conquering warrior kings who come riding on war horses as a sign of their continued military intentions, this king will come riding on a donkey.  He will ride on a donkey to signal that he brings peace, rather than war and further bloodshed.

            We see this prophecy fulfilled when Jesus enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  With his disciples who have seen his miracles, heard his teaching, and accepted his promise that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, Jesus is the just and meek savior who rides on a donkey.  He comes to defeat the power of sin and death not by military might, but by giving himself out of love on a cross.  He trusts his Father’s promise that he will be raised from the dead.  Once his disciples have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, they will accept his invitation to yoke themselves to him and experience the freedom only God can give.

            On this weekend, we Americans celebrate our independence.  250 years ago, the Declaration of Independence proclaimed our freedom from British rule.  On this holiday, we express our gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy.  But we are also aware of the ways in which freedom has not been the reality for too many people.  We are a polarized society with divisions that rip us apart.  With those divisions, we can ask ourselves if we can be optimistic about the future.  The answer to that question depends on our political perspective.

            Today, Jesus give a better perspective on that question.  He invites us to let go of what burdens us and take his yoke upon our shoulders.  In the ancient world, yokes were constructed to fit the backs of specific oxen.  They were also made to yoke two oxen together, making the task of hauling a heavy load much easier.  Jesus promises true freedom if we yoke ourselves to him and to one another as members of the Body of Christ.  Too many times, people interpret freedom as a license to do whatever we want to do.  Saint Paul calls this definition of freedom as living “in the flesh.”  If we choose to live in the flesh, we do not care what our actions do to other people.  We don’t think about what doing whatever we want will do to ourselves.  As fallen human beings, we can be enslaved to so many other realities:  consumerism, competition to be the best and brightest, and addiction to many unhealthy substances.

            Being yoked to Jesus Christ gives us hope.  Optimism is easily disappointed, as we have known many times.  How many times have we been optimistic about the success of our favorite sports team or political party and been disappointed?  Saint Paul provides a good definition of being yoked to Jesus Christ.  He calls it living “in the spirit.”  Living in the Spirit, or being yoked to Jesus Christ, gives us hope in the present.  Hope remains with us even when life is difficult and we struggle with disappointments and adversities.  Hope reminds us that Jesus Christ is with us in those most difficult times, and that he will not abandon us.  Hope tells us that being yoked to Jesus Christ will provide ultimate and perfect freedom.  On this holiday weekend, we need to cling to the hope of living “in the Spirit.”  Being yoked to Jesus Christ as members of his Body on earth, we can do our best to behave as responsible citizens of the United States of America.  To quote our patron, Saint Augustine, we are pilgrims in this earthly city on our way to the New and Eternal Jerusalem, the City of God.