Don Bosco Philippines South Province

Homily on the 16th Sunday in OT, 23 July 2023

When I was still in the seminary college part of our formation was to do manual work in the farm at the back of our seminary. There, we were growing all sorts of vegetables and crops, like pechay, tomatoes, okra, eggplant, monggo, kamote, peanuts, pineapples, bananas, corn, and at times also sugar cane. One day in summer, an announcement was made that all of us would be working in the cornfield, and our particular task would be to pull up all the weeds. Hindi ko masyadong narinig kung anong sinabi nung brother assistant kaya tinanong ko sa katabi ko kung ano ang gagawin naming sa farm. Sagot nya sa ‘kin “Magwedding daw tayo.” Lalu akong naguluhan, kasi hindi ko maisip kung paano magkakaroon ng “wedding” sa cornfield. ‘Yon pala, ang gusto niyang sabihin “magwee-weeding” kami. Hehehe… (bisaya-a kaayo!)

So we all went that morning, dressed up like farmers, wearing long sleeves and native hats to protect ourselves from the bright midmorning sun. When we arrived at the cornfields, we were taken aback by what we saw – the corn plants were still very young, sobrang liliit pa halos hindi pa nga umaabot sa isang dangkal ang mga tumubo (too small that their height measure did not even reach half a foot). And so we found it rather difficult to identify the weeds from among the corn since they both looked so similar to each other. Nonetheless, obedient as we were, we immediately spread out and started to do the job. On my part I began working in my own area; I was very careful not pull up the corn along with the weeds.

After a long while, I straightened up to stretch a little bit my arms and legs. I looked back at what I have done and so far it was good. But when I looked around to see the work of my companions I was greatly shocked by what I saw. My companion near me had cleared up his area so thoroughly that no more weeds could be seen and there was hardly any corn plant left standing on the ground. He practically pulled up the corn along with the weeds. And when he realized it he was terribly sorry and regretful. So sabi namin sa kanya “Hala… Patay ka kay Mang Bestre!”

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we come together today around the Eucharistic table to worship God our almighty Father, and to thank Him for his abundant blessings. We thank Him most especially for keeping my friend safe from any complication while resting and recovering from an accident a few days ago. We continue to hope and pray that God may keep laying his healing hand on him and grant him full recovery soon.

We can’t but wonder sometimes why bad things should happen to people who had been doing so much good. Bakit sa friend ko pa nangyari at hindi na lang sana dun sa mga taong masasama, matitigas ang ulo, maraming bisyo, lagi na lang perhuwisyo at nakakapinsala sa mundo? Why does God sometimes allow misfortune to happen to the good, while those who are bad are left free to thrive and do evil at the expense even of the good and the innocent?

The good news is this: the God we worship is not what we think he is, a cruel and careless God who simply stands at a distance and allows evil things to happen in this world. On the contrary, our God is a very patient and compassionate God, who calls sinners to give up their evil ways and return to Him. This is precisely what we have just proclaimed in the Responsorial Psalm: The Lord is good and forgiving, slow to anger and abounding in kindness.

In the parable that we have heard today, that of the weeds and the wheat, Jesus tells us clearly that it was an enemy’s hand that scattered the weeds in the wheat field, so much so that while the wheat began to grow, also the weeds sprouted and grew up along with them. And even if the farmer in that parable was so eager to start pulling up the weeds before harvest time, the owner of the field had to hold him back because it was best to allow them to grow together and just wait until harvest time to uproot the weeds. Certainly on that day, it would be much easier to distinguish the real weeds from the real wheat. From this parable we realize that God is neither careless nor cruel.

Isn’t this very true in daily life? Children and teen-agers who might be very naughty and hard-headed may grow up later on to be completely the opposite, entirely changed. Let us just try to look at ourselves and try to remember when we were still little kids. Weren’t we naughty and sometimes hard-headed too like many years others? If God, out of his anger, had immediately struck us dead, we would definitely not be here attending this Holy Mass and doing the many good things that we are able to do today. From Jesus’ parable, we therefore learn that God is indeed a patient and considerate God who gives us ample time to realize our wrong doings so that we can correct them. He is the God who, though mighty and powerful, chooses the way of gentleness by continually calling the bad and the wicked to conversion, patiently waiting until the worst of all sinners would become the greatest of all saints.

We all know who St. Paul is. He used to be the terrible persecutor of the Church in the New Testament times. He seemed so bad he had St. Stephen and many other Christians put to death because of their faith in Jesus of Nazareth. But he suddenly got converted to Christ and became a zealous preacher of the Good News. If God had immediately sent fire and brimstone from heaven to punish him for persecuting the Church, then perhaps we wouldn’t have a St. Paul today, and we wouldn’t be reading in the Liturgy the beautiful letters he had written after his conversion.

Many of us know also St. Augustine. He used to be a very sensual and worldly man so different from his mother, Monica, who was a very ascetic and devout Christian. Having finished his studies in the most prestigious schools at that time, Augustine would brag about his knowledge in Philosophy and show off his skills as an orator. And he wasn’t ashamed of his illicit relationship with a girl from whom he had a son named Adeodatus. He seemed to be a real bad guy but at thirty-three years old he received a sudden enlightenment through the Sacred Scriptures he read and was moved finally to ask for baptism from St Ambrose, the bishop of Milan. Later on he got ordained as a priest, and then as a bishop and became one of the greatest pastors and doctors of the Church. And so now we call him Saint Augustine.

The same thing can be said of St. Mary Magdalene who used to be an adulteress (we celebrated her feast yesterday), and of St. Matthew, the tax collector and the number one enemy of the Jews. They all looked bad during their time; but today they are among the greatest saints of the Catholic Church. Indeed God is slow to anger and abounding in kindness. He patiently waits until we become what he wants us to be – a much better version of ourselves worthy to be with him in Paradise. But certainly those who choose to remain as bad as weeds until harvest time will be collected, bundled up and burned for all eternity.

Allow me to conclude with this last example. A certain young man used to belong to a group of teen-agers who got hooked into some vices and often engaged in mischievous activities in their village. One day, however, he met a priest who invited him to enrol in school and finish his studies. So he left behind his friends, tried to study hard and live a good life. Soon he finished college, and eventually our Formation Center in Lawaan. Then one day during his friendly chat with me, he asked me this striking question:“Father, is there anything else you think I need to change in my life? Please let me know so that I can become even better than I am now.”

May the Word of God and the Eucharist we celebrate today transform us from weeds to real wheat and make us fruitful at God’s harvest time.

P.S. To all grandparents reading this reflection, prayerful greetings to all of you! Happy Grandparents Day!

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