A Letter from Fr. Paul - Sunday, July 23rd

​The consistent message in our readings this weekend is that we need to be patient and kind to ourselves and others, as God is with us.

In our reading from the book of Wisdom, we hear that God is “lenient to all,” “judges with clemency,” and “permits repentance.”  In our reading from the letter to the Romans, we hear, “the Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness” and the Spirit “intercedes” for us. Finally, in the Gospel parable of the enemy who sows weeds among the wheat, we are told to let things mature and all will be sorted out at the end.

The bottom line is that each one of us is a mixture of weeds and wheat, good and bad.  Our task in life is to work on ourselves, making sure that the good is growing and the bad decreasing.  God gives us time to grow: we need to use it.

Too often, though, we concentrate on the weeds in others, criticizing and condemning them, rather than paying attention to our own failings and weaknesses.  The result is that we are bringing more and more negativity into the world, while not improving ourselves.

We cannot change anyone but ourselves and changing ourselves for the better needs to be a primary goal of our spiritual life.  It is easier to criticize others than to change ourselves, but growing in our ability to live Gospel values is what we have to do.  God is patient, God is giving us the time we need, but we need to take advantage of it.

I invite us to reflect this week on how judgmental we might be, resolving to let others in the hands of God, while we work to improve ourselves.  God is there to help us, but our attention needs to be on ourselves, not others.  Lord, help me not to judge, that I may not be judged.  God bless.

Church sign of the week: Just accept and love everyone; I’ll sort them out later.  - God