We, the wheat, are called to bear great fruit even while seemingly being choked off by the presence of the weeds in our midst. For God, conversion of the weeds seemingly outweighs even the bearing of fruit. We are being choked off by the external presence of weeds crowding in our midst, yet God calls us to embrace the weeds in our life, rather than avoid them. What we must avoid is being choked off from bearing fruit by the internal "anxieties over life's demands, and the desire for wealth, and cravings of other sorts" (Mk 4:19). Jesus calls us to live as He did, constantly choked off by crowds so large that He sometimes couldn't eat (see Mk 3:20). Jesus was able to love the crowds because He rose early to be off by Himself with His Father in prayer (Mk 1:35).
As desirable as it is from a human viewpoint to root out the weeds, that is not the plan of God. We are not to uproot the weeds, that is, the followers of the evil one, per Jesus' command (Mt 13:29). Rather, we must love the weeds to such an extent that they desire to swap families – to literally be adopted into the family of God, the family of the wheat. Remember, where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more (Rm 5:20). If the Lord wants us to grow alongside people who are trying to influence our family members to fall away from our firm commitment to Christ (2 Cor 11:3), then His will be done (Mt 26:39). He will make us as lighthouses in an ocean of weeds, so that it will be the weeds who turn to us rather than we who are overcome by them (see Jer 15:19).
| PRAYER: | Help us, Lord, to constantly turn to You in our need, to receive the Holy Spirit deeply, to be able to walk on the water of the culture of death, and walk with love amidst a field of weeds. |
| PROMISE: | "Then the saints will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Let everyone heed what he hears!" –Mt 13:43 |
| PRAISE: | St. Peter's sermon so affected the Empress that she generously supported his preaching ministry from that day onward. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College