I
InThePew
Guest
Parables tell us something about how God is, how we are, and how we can and should become. Given the apocalyptic flavour of today’s first parable though, it’s easy to see it in a binary way where we’re either wheat or darnel and Christendom is surrounded by evil, having to hunker down and wait for the apocalypse. However, Jesus is more subtle and sophisticated and his teaching far deeper than that. Darnel is a deliberate choice, not only does it grow alongside wheat, it’s also indistinguishable from it; not for nothing is it called wheat’s evil twin. So the question of whether we’re wheat or darnel isn’t what we are but how we are since what Jesus is talking about is sin - something which subtly assimilates itself into our lives, and can be almost indistinguishable from how we should be.
While subtle it’s not insignificant - just as it’s by little and little that we learn to love, so too it’s by little and little that we start to sin. Particularly with small sins, it’s easy to convince ourselves they’re not really that bad; just an unfortunate part of everyday life, effectively saying that darnel is close enough to wheat. Aside from the fact that both darnel and sin are toxic, as the gospel points out the difference becomes increasingly clear over time.
So are we then destined to be damned by the darnel in our lives - slowly suffocated by our sinfulness? No - as the first reading reminds us there is always hope so, instead of fear leading to anger, anger leading to hate and hate leading to suffering; faith leads to hope, hope leads to charity and charity to salvation.
Faith allows us not only to know our sinfulness but also to recognise a better way, leading us to turn back towards it. This metanoia or turning back is the essence of any conversion. God doesn’t write us off even though he knows our sinfulness only too well. He wants us to be saved for our sake and for others. We’re invited to be part of a relationship with Him, seeing our deepest values and aspiration manifested in Jesus who is God’s revelation of Himself to us.
We don’t become part of this relationship, members of the kingdom by baptism alone but by making the vision of the kingdom an active part of our lives. We are all a combination of wheat and darnel and so can’t claim to be “good Catholics” over others - all of us have our own struggles our own failings, our own need for forgiveness.
As the other parables tell us, our efforts, though small and seemingly insignificant can become fruitful and flourish with the help of God’s grace, leading us to pass from former ways to newness of eternal life with Christ. To do this, we first have to acknowledge our need for the Lord’s help and forgiveness especially through the sacrament of reconciliation. Priests have an obligation to hear your confession at any reasonable time - make sure you hold them to it.
It doesn’t matter if it’s been weeks, months or so long you can’t remember how long since your last confession - God only cares that you’ve come back. His mercy is greater than our sinfulness, His wisdom greater than our foolishness and he asks only that we allow Him to dwell with us so that we might live forever with Him.
While subtle it’s not insignificant - just as it’s by little and little that we learn to love, so too it’s by little and little that we start to sin. Particularly with small sins, it’s easy to convince ourselves they’re not really that bad; just an unfortunate part of everyday life, effectively saying that darnel is close enough to wheat. Aside from the fact that both darnel and sin are toxic, as the gospel points out the difference becomes increasingly clear over time.
So are we then destined to be damned by the darnel in our lives - slowly suffocated by our sinfulness? No - as the first reading reminds us there is always hope so, instead of fear leading to anger, anger leading to hate and hate leading to suffering; faith leads to hope, hope leads to charity and charity to salvation.
Faith allows us not only to know our sinfulness but also to recognise a better way, leading us to turn back towards it. This metanoia or turning back is the essence of any conversion. God doesn’t write us off even though he knows our sinfulness only too well. He wants us to be saved for our sake and for others. We’re invited to be part of a relationship with Him, seeing our deepest values and aspiration manifested in Jesus who is God’s revelation of Himself to us.
We don’t become part of this relationship, members of the kingdom by baptism alone but by making the vision of the kingdom an active part of our lives. We are all a combination of wheat and darnel and so can’t claim to be “good Catholics” over others - all of us have our own struggles our own failings, our own need for forgiveness.
As the other parables tell us, our efforts, though small and seemingly insignificant can become fruitful and flourish with the help of God’s grace, leading us to pass from former ways to newness of eternal life with Christ. To do this, we first have to acknowledge our need for the Lord’s help and forgiveness especially through the sacrament of reconciliation. Priests have an obligation to hear your confession at any reasonable time - make sure you hold them to it.
It doesn’t matter if it’s been weeks, months or so long you can’t remember how long since your last confession - God only cares that you’ve come back. His mercy is greater than our sinfulness, His wisdom greater than our foolishness and he asks only that we allow Him to dwell with us so that we might live forever with Him.
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