16th A

Sunday-16th-A 

Once two brothers went to the same church and though everyone knew their wickedness and evil way of life, they did not say anything to them. One day, one of the brothers died and other man came to the priest and said, "I am going to donate 100 thousand dollars to the Church if you say that my brother was a saint in your funeral homily. The priest accepted and got the money and the next day at the funeral, the priest said, "This man was a cruel and evil. He abused his wife and children and did so many bad things to many people but compared to his living brother, he was a saint".  

Today's gospel talks about the compassion, kindness and patience of God Almighty. Our God is slow to anger and ready to forgive and that is why as people went away from Him again and again and as they fell into the same sin over and over again, He did not abandon them but loved and forgave them all completely.  

Today's gospel teaches us to be patience and kind to our neighbor, family members and friends. As we grow wheats, we have to deal with weeds also. 

The servants are crying out in today's gospel saying, "O Master, did you not sow only good seeds in the field? Did you not only create good people in your own image and likeness? Then how come, there are bad people living around destroying the world with war, killing, bombs and so on? God who is so compassionate would say, "Do not go out and destroy the weeds or bad people, let them be. Give them a chance and they would change. Even at the last moment, there is conversation.  

As a faithful woman went to St. John Maria Vianney and said, "I know per sure that my husband might have gone to everlasting punishment. It is because he killed himself jumping off the bridge and what did Vianney say? He said, "Woman, do not judge your husband and who knows between the bridge and the floor, there was a space and in that space, he might have asked God to forgive him. We should not judge others but love them . By the grace of God, we can change. 

God is slow to anger and ready to forgive and our God is so patient and wait till the last moment.  

Then Christ our Lord says, "The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed which is the smallest of all seeds and when it begins to grow, it becomes a tree where birds and animals come for shelter. Yes, Christ is the kingdom of God and He is the mustard seed because His birth was not recognized by many and His calling the disciples and forming a group called the apostles were criticized by many Pharisees and Scribes but by His divine power, the kingdom of God is deeply rooted in every human heart today. Kingdom of God means bringing peace and love; kindness and compassion among people. Let be sowers of the kingdom of God and bring more people to the kingdom where love, only love reigns. Amen.