Sicut sol in regno (Mt. 13:43)

In our reality, we find a conflict in two poles between good and bad sides symbolized by black and white, day and night, light and dark. Jesus in the Gospel utilizes wheat and darnel to describe good and bad things. The good seed will grow together with darnel. When the harvest time comes, the Son of man will send His angels to pull out the wheat and the darnel and sort them out.

We believe in a powerful God. We can imagine that if God wills, He can negate evil and let the good seed grows. But, why are there bad things in our life? God has authority.  However, He gives humankind free will. By this gift, humankind can choose freely which side he or she goes through a good or a bad side. Nevertheless, God invites people to choose to become a good seed. Therefore, we can say, if the wheat and darnel grow together, we opt to walk with goodness even though badness overshadows.

It is too often that we make a bad choice in our life. We prefer to stay in the dark rather than to stay in the light. Nevertheless, our God is merciful. He accepts everyone who wants to come to Him like a Father who is glad to welcome His child. We are invited to come to God’s house, to choose and do good things in our life for the virtuous will and shine likes the sun in the Kingdom of God.

We have been baptized and we are the children of God. The light of God’s love shines upon us and He gives us free will. What is your option? Let us pray, may God pour out His Holy Spirit to guide our heart and mind to choose the best answer in our life. God bless us.

By Fr. Aris Mada, SVD.

Non resistere malo (Mt. 5:39)

Today’s Gospel reading is a reminder of our constant call to love one another.  “When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn and offer the other.”  This is not a common practice in our society. We see on TV shows, movies, the news, and even in real life, people getting revenge or serving up payback for someone’s wrongdoing.  Jesus is telling us, not to treat evil with evil, but rather with love. It was the way of Jesus. He lived and died to overcome evil with good. This is easier said than done.  While we often say to ourselves, “Okay, I’m not going to do the same thing that has been done to me,” when we have been treated badly. It becomes even more difficult when we first hand experience that situation.  When we are hurt; physically or emotionally, our first instinct is to inflict the same pain onto the other person.  This is the devil working in our lives, but it is a call out from God to love continually.  This does not mean to love when things are going well or when someone loves you.  It means to love ALWAYS. 

It is not easy to remain good in the face of evil, to be loving in the face of hatred, to be faithful in the face of unfaithfulness, to remain just in the face of injustice done to us, to be peacemakers in the face of violence done to us. We cannot live in this way drawing on our own strength and resources alone. We need God’s strength, God’s resources, God’s Spirit because such a way of life is the fruit of God’s Spirit at work within us.”  When you get into an argument with someone or someone has hurt you, imagine Jesus is standing before you.  You would not hit Jesus, or speak bad words toward  Jesus, but that is what we do when our actions and words stem from evil and not love.  Let us use the image of Jesus to draw ourselves into prayer and a state of love and peace.  

By Sr Mary CM, Jogjakarta.