The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today encourage us to ponder the coexistence of good and evil in our society, institutions, and within ourselves.
The reading from the Prophet Jeremiah is the Temple Sermon that proclaims God’s Judgement on the Nation.
* [7:1–15] The Temple of the Lord will not guarantee safety against enemy invasion or any other misfortune. (Jeremiah, CHAPTER 7, n.d.)
Psalm 84 praises the Joy of Worship in the Temple.
* [Psalm 84] Israelites celebrated three pilgrimage feasts in Jerusalem annually. The Psalm expresses the sentiments of the pilgrims eager to enjoy the divine presence. (Psalms, PSALM 84, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells the Parable of Weeds among the Wheat.
* [13:24–30] This parable is peculiar to Matthew. The comparison in Mt 13:24 does not mean that the kingdom of heaven may be likened simply to the person in question but to the situation narrated in the whole story. The refusal of the householder to allow his slaves to separate the wheat from the weeds while they are still growing is a warning to the disciples not to attempt to anticipate the final judgment of God by a definitive exclusion of sinners from the kingdom. In its present stage it is composed of the good and the bad. The judgment of God alone will eliminate the sinful. Until then there must be patience and the preaching of repentance. (Matthew, CHAPTER 13, n.d.)
Eileen Wirth asks us to remember that people, including our children, are the only ones who can decide when and how to separate their “wheat” from their “weeds.”
Like most parents, I’ve experienced this anxiety and know that you never stop worrying. Keep loving your child and keep praying. It’s likely that if you hadn’t planted those seeds, things could be much worse…. I’m no Pollyanna. Not all stories ended as happily as these two but I saw enough that did to offer you hope that your family’s harvest time will come. You are part of a legion of loving people who desperately want their children to be safe and well. My prayers are with you. (Creighton U. Daily Reflection, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “The Lord sows good seeds in our heart,” by Chromatius (died 406 AD).
"The Lord clearly points out that he is the sower of good seeds. He does not cease to sow in this world as in a field. God's word is like good seed in the hearts of people, so that each of us according to the seeds sown in us by God may bear spiritual and heavenly fruit." (excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 51.1) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Jeremiah 7:1-11 comments that if we were to examine our behavior, we would begin to see our ways as well. We would learn what was going on inside our hearts. God wants to address this “heart level” just as much as he wants to address our behavior. We may try to stop doing the wrong things, but unless we change our hearts, true change will remain elusive.
So turn to the Lord. Ask him to help you examine your heart. He knows which motives need to be renewed, and he is ready to help you make that happen.
Remember, repentance and reform take time. God is infinitely patient. If you work with him, both your deeds and your ways will change!
“Thank you, Lord, for your patience and your love for me!” (Meditation on Jeremiah 7:1-11, n.d.)
Friar Jude Wimkler recounts the mission of Jeremiah to the Temple to preach repentance to a community that had become arrogant and presumptive to remind them to perform charity and deal justly with aliens, widows and orphans. The horizontal and vertical dimensions of our faith include social justice and worship. Matthew recounts Jesus' Parable and reminds us that while evil people still exist it will be taken care of in God’s time. Friar Jude reminds us not to let the evil of others distract us from the dawn of the Kingdom.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that one of the main obstacles to experiencing intimacy with God is our very doubt that we can experience it. A prayer written by Father Richard may help to center us in God’s love.
Lover of All
Lord, lover of life, lover of these lives,
Lord, lover of our souls, lover of our bodies, lover of all that exists . . .
In fact, it is your love that keeps it all alive . . .
May we live in this love.
May we never doubt this love.
May we know that we are love,
That we were created for love,
That we are a reflection of you,
That you love yourself in us and therefore we are perfectly lovable.
May we never doubt this deep and abiding and perfect goodness
That we are because you are. (Rohr, 2022)
We are reminded of the Love of God that draws us to full life and is the foundation of our hope to separate the weeds and wheat on our journey.
References
Creighton U. Daily Reflection. (n.d.). Online Ministries. Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/072322.html
Jeremiah, CHAPTER 7. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah/7?1
Matthew, CHAPTER 13. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/13?24
Meditation on Jeremiah 7:1-11. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/07/23/447296/
Psalms, PSALM 84. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/84?3
Rohr, R. (2022, July 23). Twentieth-Century Women Mystics: Weekly Summary — Center for Action and Contemplation. Daily Meditations Archive: 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/twentieth-century-women-mystics-weekly-summary-2022-07-23/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture ... Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=jul23
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