“Let them grow together until harvest"
God is the God of all, good people and bad; everyone belongs to God. As we celebrate the Sixteenth Sunday
in Ordinary Time, our readings reveal the God whose mercy endures forever, the God who is patient and
always at work through His Spirit. On the same note, the readings invite us to reflect on the mercy and love of
God; the power of God is revealed not in a harsh way, but in true strength, as shown by patience. Let them grow
together until harvest. We need to reflect on three things, such as; first, God’s patience is purposeful; next,
Mercy mirrors strength/patience; and then, we are all recipients of second chances.
How often do we give a chance to people who often distract us or disturb us in many ways? How often do
we receive chances from our God? Let them grow together until harvest. This reminds us of God’s divine patience,
and mercy that allows both wheat and weeds to coexist until the time of judgement. It is a powerful image of
how God’s love embraces all people, regardless of their flaws or failures, giving everyone space and time to
grow, change and bear fruit. This reveals that God’s patience is purposeful.
To let them grow together until harvest, mercy has to mirror the patience or strength. In other words, true power is
not shown in punishment or control, but in restraint and compassion. When we choose mercy over judgement,
we reflect God’s strength. This invites us to learn from our God. A God who forgives us, a God who is patient
with us, a God who embraces us all, regardless of our failures.
At last, we are all recipients of a second chance. This allows us to reflect on ourselves: how can we improve
from being weeds to become wheat, so that when harvest comes we will be able to meet our loving God. At
the same time, as recipients of God’s mercy, God invites us to imitate him, in giving a second chance to others
as well. We go to the Sacrament of Confession, believing that God’s love is greater than our sins. However, if
God forgives us, we are to forgive each other.
We have a few things to learn from today’s readings, such as: God wants us to go beyond our way of loving
people, even living His words in our way of living. As recipients of a second chance, this reminds us that
God’s mercy and love are greater than our failures. Let us live our lives to God’s will. Let us witness God’s love
by going beyond our comfort zone to feel the needs of those who do not believe in God. Let us be more patient
in treating each other; let us learn from the Master in today’s Gospel, who had patience. Let us be more vigilant
in sharing the mercy and love of God, so that we also know when to say, “Let them grow together until harvest.”