Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
I have received more DMs (direct messages) across my social media platforms about faith and spirituality these days than I have ever done before. I have had messages from people seeking spiritual directors, people wanting to come to the Sacrament of reconciliation after many years, people seeking to reconnect with the church, people wanting to rediscover their faith - people who are simply longing for a more tangible presence of God. I think there is a reason. The pandemic has severely restricted our family, social, community, and religious life. Not only are people feeling isolated from their loved ones, but they are also feeling alienated from themselves. As for faith, I think that people are missing the tangible things that nurture faith – holy water, a personal sign of peace, a hug, volunteering at the food pantry, liturgical ministries, and most of all, Holy Communion. Especially if faith and spirituality have been on the back burner, some people are even feeling distant from God. Now, more than ever, people are looking for meaning. If you are one of those people, today’s scripture reading come to our aid.
I would like to offer three practical implications as we look for ways to find meaning during this awful global pandemic.
- The Spirit Comes to Our Aid. If there is a longing, a quest, a search within us, then the first thing we must recognize is that, this is the precise place where the Spirit is moving within us. As Paul says to us in today’s first reading, “The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness” (Rom 8:26). And again, “The Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings” (Rom 8:26). For “we do not know how to pray” (Rom 8:26). If you are hurting for God and if you are longing for divine consolation, then know that yearning for God and for meaning is itself the work of the Spirit. Simultaneously also know this, that if the quest lies within, the answer also lies within you; because, the Spirit dwells within you. Often though, entering our inner self makes us very vulnerable. Too many of us carry too much hurt, too much pain, too many insecurities. Our past, our unpleasant experiences, our sinfulness, our weaknesses confront us when go within. But let us not be afraid. As Paul reminds us, “The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness.” The Spirit is not within us to condemn us. Rather, because we are vulnerable, the Spirit comes to our aid. Here is my first practical implication for today. Sometimes we have to take time from life to find the meaning of life. This week set a little time aside and be kind to yourself. Amidst work, family, and everything else, find a little time to be in touch with your inner self. Begin small. Fifteen minutes is all you might need. Keep your phone, your gadgets, your “to do” list, and anything else aside. Simply be in silence. Make an attempt to enter your depths and allow the Spirit to come to your aid; to intercede within you with inexpressible groanings.
- Parables: Revealing the Mystery. As we get comfortable with silence, our faith provides us the tools to enter in the depths of divine mystery. One of these tools is parables. Last week, we heard the parable of the sower and the seeds, and in today’s gospel hear three more of Jesus’ parables. As Jesus did in last week’s gospel, he takes the time yet again to explain the parables to his disciples. And yet again, sandwiched between the parables and the explanation of the parable are Jesus’ words, “I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world” (Mt 13:35). Jesus parables are especially helpful during the pandemic. The one thing that the pandemic has laid bare is the deficiency of superficial living. The pandemic is making us dig deeper. We are asking questions that we have not asked before. We are seeking in ways we have not sought before. More than at any other time, we are seeking meaning, consolation, hope, and the strength to be patient. Jesus’ parables are a tool to unravel the mysteries that confront us now. The parables are not themselves the answer. They point to the answer. Parables help us to look at life from God’s perspective. They help us to gain a deeper understanding about life, about ourselves, about God’s place in our lives, about our place in the God’s life, about the universe and its mysteries. Here is my second practical implication. There are eight parables in Matthew Chapter 13. I am inviting you to reflect on each of the parables this week. Each day enter your inner selves with one of these parables. As you do so, the Spirit who “intercedes with inexpressible groanings” will reveal to you “what has been laid hidden from the foundation of the world.”
- Things Lain Hidden from the Foundation of the World. The time we set aside, the parables, and our resolve to enter within – all these are tools. Ultimately, nothing will satisfy our longings but God. To use an often used saying from Augustine, “Our hearts will not rest until they rest in God.” Who is this God? The author of the book of wisdom has entered into the mysteries of the divine. Almost as if the author is in direct conversation with God, he says “For your might is the source of justice; your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all. For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved; and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity. But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency, and with much lenience you govern us; for power, whenever you will, attends you.” Similarly, in the parable of the wheat and the weeds in today gospel, Jesus reveals God. All the parables reveal God. They also reveal the mystery within us. For example, the parable of the good seeds and weed tells us that God is a good God who created a good world. Sadly, evil is present in God’s good world. But God did not create evil. Evil lies outside God. But God is patient. Yet, God is not without justice. In the final analysis, good will prevail. Here is my third practical implication. During this pandemic, if our souls are yearning for God and if our hearts are longing for something deeper, let us recognize that, in reality, it is God who is reaching out to us. This is an act of God’s supreme goodness. As humanity globally hurts from this evil pandemic, let us enter into the depth of a good God who has created a good universe. This is God’s world. Let us face this evil with God. In God and God alone can we find peace, comfort, strength, and joy. After all, our hearts will not rest until they rest in God.
While we are in this world, the Eucharist is the hot-spot for divine-human encounter. But is not only an encounter; it is a union, a communion. With the Spirit of Jesus within us may we find ourselves. Amen.
-Fr. Satish Joseph