Coffee With God

Reflection: Matthew 13:24-30

Today the Gospel speaks of two contrasting attitudes – annoyance and irritation of man and the patience of God. The servants wants to act in haste and are impatient while the land owner represents God, who is ready to wait patiently. At times we are in a great hurry to judge, to categorize, to segregate the good here, the bad there…. Remember the prayer of that self-righteous Pharisee: “God, I thank you that I am good, that I am not like other men, malicious” (cf. Lk 18:11-12). Pope Francis explains the parable and says, “God knows how to wait. With patience and mercy, he gazes into the “field” of life of every person; he sees much better than we do the filth and the evil, but he also sees the seeds of good and waits with trust for them to grow. God is patient, he knows how to wait. This is so beautiful: our God is a patient father, who always waits for us and waits with his heart in hand to welcome us, to forgive us. He always forgives us if we go to him.” The field owner’s attitude is that of hope grounded in the certainty that evil does not have the first nor the last word. And it is thanks to this patient hope of God that helps us to grow up, although with malicious heart with so many sins, in the end can become good grain. But be careful: evangelical patience is not indifference to evil; one must not confuse good and evil! While facing the evils in the world, we are called to imitate the patience of God, and to trust in the final victory of good, that is of God. There is no one who is totally evil and totally bad. In spite of all the evil behaviours, there is something good in all of us. The bad behaviours in us are the weeds, tricked by the evil in our lives. But the patient and loving God would allow us to grow with the hope of nurturing and bringing into maturity those good in each of us. The weeds of all the wrong attitudes and behaviours will be burned in the fire of God’s love and forgiveness. The good will overcome the evil and in God’s mercy, our purified self will reach him. Let us ask Our Lady, Our Mother, to help us to grow in patience, in hope and in mercy with all brothers and sisters.