Have you ever planted flowers or vegetables and discovered that weeds seemed to grow twice as fast? You pull them out, and a week later they return. Jesus uses that familiar experience to teach us something profound: “Let both of them grow together until the harvest” (Mt 13:30). God is patient because He never gives up on people.

We often want God to remove every “weed” immediately, those who hurt us, the problems in our families, even our own weaknesses. But today’s first reading reminds us that God’s power is revealed not by harshness but by mercy: “Though you are sovereign in strength, you judge with mildness” (Wis 12:18).

He gives us time to repent, grow, and bear fruit.

A parent understands this well. A child may make poor choices yet loving parents do not stop believing in them. They correct with hope, not condemnation. That is how God treats us.

And when we feel too weak to change, St. Paul offers comforting news: “The Spirit helps us in our weakness” (Rom 8:26). We are never struggling alone. Christ continues to cultivate the field of our hearts with His grace.

As we approach this Eucharist, let us allow the Divine Gardener to remove whatever chokes His life within us. If we let His mercy transform us today, we will become good wheat that nourishes the world and be joyfully gathered into His eternal harvest.

Your Priest,

Father Charles Enyinnia