Do You Have Ears? Listen

Sermon by Rev. John Paul Shea

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 23, 2017

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Tucson, AZ

 "He who has ears, let him hear." (Matt 13:9)

In today’s Gospel (Matthew 13:24-43), we continue to reflect on Our Lord's teachings via the parables. 

Our Lord uses these stories to “announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.” (Matt 13:35)

While Our Lord relates three parables in today’s Gospel, we may notice that the Gospel begins and ends with the same story about the wheat and the weeds. It calls us to reflect on God’s plan of salvation for our world.

Our Lord likens the Kingdom of Heaven to a farmer who sows good seed in his field. While everyone is asleep, his enemy comes and sows weeds all through the wheat, and then goes off. When the crop grows and bears

fruit, the weeds appear as well.

Our Lord explains that the one who sows good seed is God and the field is the world. The weeds are the work of the enemy, who is the devil.  If the weeds are not immediately cut down then they can take over the whole field of wheat and destroy it. It is assumed that the farmer will want the weeds pulled up immediately. Yet, surprisingly, the farmer says, “No.” Let them grow side by side until harvest time then he will decide which are the weeds and which are the wheat.

 
My brothers and sisters, today’s parable shows us the shocking state of our world today as we await the second coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

God created this world to show the beauty of His work. He made us to follow His plan for our happiness. Yet, through the arrogance of the devil, evil has been sown in the world. 

Therefore, as we await Our Lord’s return, let  us persevere in our faith amongst the cultures and societies in which we live and stand our ground against the evils that surround us.

We all know how quickly weeds grow and how rapid weeds spread. First there are a few small weeds. Then after a little rain,

the weeds multiply and take over the entire area in which they grow. Our Lord warns us evil is increasing in this world.

Since Our Lord walked the earth, much evil has already been done within societies. Yet, over the past few centuries more is taking place.  Since the Enlightenment, man has been more determined to create a world without God. The weeds of Rationalism, Atheism, Marxism, Individualism, Secularism have led men to turn away from God.  

Now, as we enter the 21st century, new means of communication have spread evil ways of thinking to all corners of the world in  unprecedented ways. 

Everywhere we look today, the weeds of twisted thinking are destroying marriages, schools, homes and families.

Even Catholics are falling away from the truth. Politicians and lobby groups are telling us what was considered immoral only a generation ago is now good. 

At the same time, some Church leaders are failing to resist the dictatorship of relativism. They need to call sinners to conversion with determination. The weeds are choking us all!

My brothers and sisters, today’s Gospel

Fr. John Paul Shea

message is a serious call to every Catholic to stay faithful to Christ despite the pitfalls of the  society in which we live today. 

Our Lord intended  Catholics to be the salt of the earth. He calls us to be passionate about the truths of our faith as we prepare for the coming of the Kingdom of God. God will help us, but we must commit our lives  to Him. 

Therefore let us renew our commitment to live in Truth and Love. Let us go to confession regularly. Let us pray the Holy Rosary daily.

For, this society in which we live today is passing away! Our Lord Jesus Christ will "send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear."