I suspect that today's gospel will speak clearly to people who are from a farming background, or those who enjoy gardening. Jesus speaks of the farmer who discovers that his field of good wheat is spoiled by weeds: parasites growing side by side with a healthy crop. What makes the story worse is that the weeds are deliberately planted by an enemy, someone who does not want success. Imagine your beautiful garden or window box being deliberately targeted by vandals. All your hard work being destroyed by mindless thugs. What was meant to be creative and, even, life giving is ruined…or is it?

As always, Jesus can see the positive even in despair. As followers we are invited to show that optimism and care, even in the face of disappointment. The world we live in is made up of good and bad alike: we look at our life and see the glory of God's creation. Genesis, the first book of our Bible, sees the world as a beautiful Garden of Eden. However, very soon we see the 'weeds' of sin, lying, deceit and murder enter that ideal picture. Down through history we see echoes of that original sin in our failure to help the homeless or refugees; when we ignore the cries of the abused and hurting, and when we belittle others on the basis of their sexuality, colour or creed. In reality, we do not need to look at a global picture to see the 'wheat and the weeds'. I only have to look into the mirror and see, in my own being, both the good and bad of which I am capable. Sometimes it is all too convenient to blame Adam and Eve for my mistakes, while I fail to take personal responsibility.

Jesus is urging us to root out that which is bad in our lives. Luckily, we are given a sacramental blessing in the sacrament of reconciliation that helps us to do the essential weeding in life. I might not be able to stop the terrible war in the Ukraine, but I can do something about the way I treat my friends, neighbours and family. I can open myself to the overwhelming and unconditional love that God has for each of us—it is a love that is transformative, if we are open. In today's parable, Jesus sees that the bad has to grow together with the good—in our efforts to weed out the bad, the danger is that we could destroy the good too.

Heaven, in my opinion, is that perfect field with no weeds. In the meantime, as we will pray in the 'Our Father', we work to bring that reign of God to our world 'as it is in heaven'. We are called to live in the reality of Incarnation: a truly blessed world that is damaged. We must all play our part in building up the global community and stand against any form of discrimination that only seeks to divide and bring people down. We are a people made in the 'image and likeness of God'. Let us hope that we recognise that image this week in all we meet: from people sitting in the church bench with you, to the person selling the 'Big Issue' outside your local supermarket; from the desperate asylum seeker to the child acting out. This week is a call to see the fullness of God's creation, as we each travel in our own way to bring new light to those darkened places. However, we do not walk alone, we share our lives and paths with a God of love. The Irish mystic, John O'Donohue reminds us:

I think the divine is like a huge smile that breaks somewhere in the sea within you, and gradually comes up again.

I pray that the world sees that divine smile in you this week.

Author: Fr Gerry O'Shaughnessy SDB

Photo by Jason Long on Unsplash