Homily for Saturday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time

The Parable of the Weeds Among the Wheat illustrates the difference in perspective between the farmer and his servants. When weeds appeared among the wheat, the servants wanted to immediately remove them to keep the field pure. However, the farmer advised letting the wheat and weeds grow together until the harvest when they could be separated. He was patient, knowing he would eventually obtain pure wheat without the weeds.

In this parable, Jesus conveys a message about the Church and the individual disciples who form it. He acknowledges that the Church will consist of a mixture of good and bad until the end of time when all that is not of God will vanish.

Individually, we are a blend of light and darkness until we are fully formed into the likeness of God's Son in the afterlife. While we persistently endeavor to mirror God's image, we must recognize that sin will always be a part of our earthly existence.

Like the farmer, the Lord is patient with us. We need to be patient with ourselves and others. This is not self-approval but an acknowledgment that we are all a work in progress. Being a 'work in progress' is hopeful, as God has initiated good work in our lives. Even if it is not completed in this life, God will bring His work to completion in eternity, a promise that fills us with hope and reassurance.