Suy Niện Tin Mừng thứ Bẩy 16 Thường Niên
Sự kiên nhẫn của Thiên Chúa là lời mời gọi dịu dàng mà Ngài lặp đi lặp lại trong lòng mọi người, lời mời gọi đó là sự biến đổi tâm hồn và cách sống của mình Ngài uốn chúng hãy biến đổi cho Ngài và cho người khác. Đó là sự kiên nhẫn của người bạn đang ở bên cạnh chúng ta, không phải chỉ là sự chờ đợi mà còn nhẹ nhàng mời gọi chúng ta biến đổi và hoán cải. Thiên Chúa có thời gian cho con người. Ngài không vội vàng và Chúa biết rằng mọi người rất cần nhiều thời giờ để vượt qua những niềm tự hào riêng của mình hay vượt qua cái tự cao của họ, bởi vì con ngưòi chúng ta không hạ mình, khiêm tốn trước người khác và dễ tha thứ, và rất khó cho chúng ta để có thể bỏ qua cáo lỗi của người khác.
Thiên Chúa luôn sẵn sàng chờ đợi và ban cho chúng ta những dấu hiệu kín đáo là Ngài đang ở đó. Lời chia sẻ của một người bạn, một sự đau buồn đột ngột, sự hiếu khách của một gia đình có thể đó là dấu hiệu cho thấy Thiên Chúa đang chờ đợi chúng ta. Để cho cơ hội để ăn năn, trở lại với Ngài, Đó là biểu hiện to lớn nhất của quyền năng Thiên Chúa.
Nhiều người trong chúng ta thiếu sự kiên nhẫn này. Chúng ta bị kích thích hay cám dỗ bởi sự ích kỷ và lòng tham lam của nhiều người. Với nhiều hình thức ngoại tình, bất công và tham nhũng là nguồn gốc liên tục của những vụ xì căng đan và đau đớn cho những người biết rằng ý định của Đức Chúa Trời đối với mọi người khác nhau và đẹp hơn. Và Chúa Giêsu nói trong dụ ngôn: "Hãy để cho cả hai cho đến mùa màng, còn quá sớm để phán xét, hãy tin tưởng, phán đoán sẽ đến, nhưng hãy để tôi làm điều đó, tôi kiên nhẫn với bạn và với mọi người."
REFLECTION
God's patience is that gentle invitation which he repeats again and again in the hearts of people, the invitation to be converted to him and to other people. It is the patience of the friend by your side, not merely passively waiting but gently inviting to conversion. God has time for people. He is not in a hurry. God knows that people
need much time to get over their pride or self-sufficiency that it is not simple for them to forgive, that it is hard for them to overlook the faults of others.
God waits and gives them discreet signs that he is there. The word of a friend, a sudden grief, hospitality offered by a family can be signs that God is waiting for us. To give the opportunity to repent, to return to him, is the greatest expression of God's power.
Many of us lack this patience. We are irritated by the selfishness and the greed of many. The many forms of infidelity, injustice and corruption are a continuous source of scandal and anguish for those who know that God's intentions regarding people are different and more beautiful. And yet Jesus says in the parable: "Let both grow until the harvest. It is too early to judge. Keep trusting. The judgment will come. But leave it to me. I am patient with you and with everyone."
Saturday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.” Matthew 13:24–26
The weeds sown by the enemy in this parable are known as tares, or darnel. In their early stages, darnel closely resemble wheat, making them difficult to distinguish until both are fully grown. Darnel are mildly toxic and can cause dizziness or nausea if consumed.
Darnel’s roots often entangle with those of the wheat, making early removal dangerous to the crop. For this reason, sowing darnel in a neighbor’s field was an ancient form of agricultural sabotage.
As both plants mature, the difference becomes evident: Wheat turns golden and bends under the weight of its grain, while darnel remain upright and dark. This contrast is deeply symbolic. The bowed wheat reflects the humility of righteous souls who bend in reverence before God. The dark, upright tares represent the pride of those who resist Him—outwardly impressive but fruitless.
This imagery would have resonated with Jesus’ listeners, many of whom were farmers familiar with these plants. The parable teaches that evil can mimic good for a time. But at the harvest—symbolizing the Last Judgment—the true nature of each will be revealed.
When the servants discover the weeds, they want to remove them immediately. But the master replies: “No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest…” (Matthew 13:29–30). This reveals God’s divine patience. The servants represent well-meaning but impulsive souls eager to rid the world of evil. Yet God, in His perfect wisdom, permits the coexistence of good and evil—not out of indifference, but out of mercy—to protect the good until the appointed time.
One lesson stands out clearly: We are called to unite ourselves with God’s permissive will. Evil exists in this world because God permits free will. When the good seed of faith is sown, faithful souls emerge—but alongside them grow those who appear good on the surface while aligning themselves with the enemy’s work.
A common temptation for the faithful is to respond to the evil they see with outrage or condemnation. While we must oppose evil, our first and highest duty is not its elimination, but our growth in grace. When we become overly scandalized by evil and attempt to purge it ourselves, we can lose sight of God’s providence and risk causing greater harm.
For example, if one of a family’s children stops going to Mass, the parents might be tempted to react with condemnation or pressure to return to Mass attendance. But God does not coerce; He invites. A more fruitful approach would be to remain close to—let’s say in this case, the son—extending love and patience. The visible fruit of grace in his parents’ lives can become a quiet witness that draws the son back. Harsh criticism might push him further away. In trying to “pull up the weeds,” the parents might also “uproot the wheat,” harming others still open to grace.
Reflect today on the need for patient endurance in the face of the evils God permits us to encounter. Resist the temptation to act rashly or judge hastily. Trust that in God’s time, all will be revealed. In the meantime, strive to be like the golden wheat—humble, fruitful, and bowed in reverence before the Lord. For it is not the appearance of goodness, but the fruit it bears, that makes a soul fit for the Master’s barn.
Most patient Lord, though You could return in glory and bring an end to all evil in an instant, You permit its continued presence out of divine wisdom and mercy, always calling souls gently back to Yourself. Grant me the grace of patient endurance, that I may love the sinner without condoning the sin. Let my highest aim be to bear abundant fruit for Your Kingdom, undistracted by the darkness around me, and unshaken by the presence of evil. Strengthen my heart to remain rooted in grace, and fixed upon You. Jesus, I trust in You.
Saturday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time 2023
Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.” Matthew 13:24–25
This parable begins in a very good way. It states that good seed was sown. In other words, the pure Gospel was preached into good soil. This should be understood as any situation where the preacher is truly effective and where the Gospel reaches many ears and is planted in many hearts. This is worth rejoicing over. But this parable quickly points out that those responsible for guarding the good soil in which the Word of God was planted, failed in their duty to protect it. As a result, the “enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat.” In other words, the evil one also had sown his lies into the hearts of those who heard the Word of God, and those lies took root and began to grow.
This is a clear description of the world we live in today. First, it’s a description of the hearts of many Christians who have heard the Word of God and have responded, only to also struggle with doubts, confusions and lies sown by the evil one. But it is also a clear description of the world as a whole and even of the Church on earth. There are many divisions within societies and even within the Church. There are many competing voices. And among those whose hearts are good soil, it can be hard to distinguish between that which is from God and that which is a subtle deception from the evil one.
The weed referred to in this parable is called cockle. Cockle was a weed that, as it grew, looked much like wheat. It was very difficult to distinguish from wheat until the grain began to appear. But when the grain did begin to appear, it was clearly distinguishable. And if the cockle were to accidentally be ground in with the wheat, it would cause nausea when eaten.
The parable is quite clear. The lies that the evil one sows in the hearts of the faithful, those with fertile hearts, are very subtle, especially at first. It is easy for those subtle lies to confuse us. The evil one rarely succeeds in misleading the faithful through grave and obvious errors. Therefore, he deceives with small errors. As a result, the error is often not understood until much later as the fruit is born. The result is division, confusion, conflict and the like—conflict within our own souls, within our world and even within our Church.
What is the solution? Vigilance. We, as followers of Christ, must be exceptionally vigilant in regard to that which we allow our hearts to receive. Just because something sounds good at first doesn’t make it good. This is why we have the Scripture, the Magisterium of the Church and the teachings of the saints. We must constantly examine all that we allow into our hearts, our families, our world and our churches in the light of the pure and consistent teachings of our faith. And when we see divisions, this is a clear sign of some subtle error that has crept in. In the end, at the harvest time, when we all face Christ our Lord at our judgments, He will separate the good from the bad. But for our part, vigilance is essential so that only the pure seed of God’s Word is received by us and sown by us.
Reflect, today, on your own soul as fertile ground. What “seed” is sown there? What do you allow to penetrate your heart and take root? Are you vigilant, remaining attentive to the ways that the evil one tries to mislead you through subtle lies and errors? Ponder these questions honestly, and if you find conflict and confusion in your life, look more deeply at the source of these troubles. If there are lies that you have allowed into your own life, then turn them over to our Lord so that He can remove them at the proper time.
Most holy Word of God, You are the living Word who sows seed upon the fertile ground of our Hearts. You plant Yourself in the hearts of those who believe so that Your life can bear good fruit in the faithful. Please sow the seed of Your Word in my own heart, dear Lord, and protect me from the deceptions of the evil one. As You do, I pray that You bring forth an abundance of good fruit through me. Jesus, I trust in You.
Sự kiên nhẫn của Thiên Chúa là lời mời gọi dịu dàng mà Ngài lặp đi lặp lại trong lòng mọi người, lời mời gọi đó là sự biến đổi tâm hồn và cách sống của mình Ngài uốn chúng hãy biến đổi cho Ngài và cho người khác. Đó là sự kiên nhẫn của người bạn đang ở bên cạnh chúng ta, không phải chỉ là sự chờ đợi mà còn nhẹ nhàng mời gọi chúng ta biến đổi và hoán cải. Thiên Chúa có thời gian cho con người. Ngài không vội vàng và Chúa biết rằng mọi người rất cần nhiều thời giờ để vượt qua những niềm tự hào riêng của mình hay vượt qua cái tự cao của họ, bởi vì con ngưòi chúng ta không hạ mình, khiêm tốn trước người khác và dễ tha thứ, và rất khó cho chúng ta để có thể bỏ qua cáo lỗi của người khác.
Thiên Chúa luôn sẵn sàng chờ đợi và ban cho chúng ta những dấu hiệu kín đáo là Ngài đang ở đó. Lời chia sẻ của một người bạn, một sự đau buồn đột ngột, sự hiếu khách của một gia đình có thể đó là dấu hiệu cho thấy Thiên Chúa đang chờ đợi chúng ta. Để cho cơ hội để ăn năn, trở lại với Ngài, Đó là biểu hiện to lớn nhất của quyền năng Thiên Chúa.
Nhiều người trong chúng ta thiếu sự kiên nhẫn này. Chúng ta bị kích thích hay cám dỗ bởi sự ích kỷ và lòng tham lam của nhiều người. Với nhiều hình thức ngoại tình, bất công và tham nhũng là nguồn gốc liên tục của những vụ xì căng đan và đau đớn cho những người biết rằng ý định của Đức Chúa Trời đối với mọi người khác nhau và đẹp hơn. Và Chúa Giêsu nói trong dụ ngôn: "Hãy để cho cả hai cho đến mùa màng, còn quá sớm để phán xét, hãy tin tưởng, phán đoán sẽ đến, nhưng hãy để tôi làm điều đó, tôi kiên nhẫn với bạn và với mọi người."
God's patience is that gentle invitation which he repeats again and again in the hearts of people, the invitation to be converted to him and to other people. It is the patience of the friend by your side, not merely passively waiting but gently inviting to conversion. God has time for people. He is not in a hurry. God knows that people
need much time to get over their pride or self-sufficiency that it is not simple for them to forgive, that it is hard for them to overlook the faults of others.
God waits and gives them discreet signs that he is there. The word of a friend, a sudden grief, hospitality offered by a family can be signs that God is waiting for us. To give the opportunity to repent, to return to him, is the greatest expression of God's power.
Many of us lack this patience. We are irritated by the selfishness and the greed of many. The many forms of infidelity, injustice and corruption are a continuous source of scandal and anguish for those who know that God's intentions regarding people are different and more beautiful. And yet Jesus says in the parable: "Let both grow until the harvest. It is too early to judge. Keep trusting. The judgment will come. But leave it to me. I am patient with you and with everyone."
Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.” Matthew 13:24–26
The weeds sown by the enemy in this parable are known as tares, or darnel. In their early stages, darnel closely resemble wheat, making them difficult to distinguish until both are fully grown. Darnel are mildly toxic and can cause dizziness or nausea if consumed.
Darnel’s roots often entangle with those of the wheat, making early removal dangerous to the crop. For this reason, sowing darnel in a neighbor’s field was an ancient form of agricultural sabotage.
As both plants mature, the difference becomes evident: Wheat turns golden and bends under the weight of its grain, while darnel remain upright and dark. This contrast is deeply symbolic. The bowed wheat reflects the humility of righteous souls who bend in reverence before God. The dark, upright tares represent the pride of those who resist Him—outwardly impressive but fruitless.
This imagery would have resonated with Jesus’ listeners, many of whom were farmers familiar with these plants. The parable teaches that evil can mimic good for a time. But at the harvest—symbolizing the Last Judgment—the true nature of each will be revealed.
When the servants discover the weeds, they want to remove them immediately. But the master replies: “No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest…” (Matthew 13:29–30). This reveals God’s divine patience. The servants represent well-meaning but impulsive souls eager to rid the world of evil. Yet God, in His perfect wisdom, permits the coexistence of good and evil—not out of indifference, but out of mercy—to protect the good until the appointed time.
One lesson stands out clearly: We are called to unite ourselves with God’s permissive will. Evil exists in this world because God permits free will. When the good seed of faith is sown, faithful souls emerge—but alongside them grow those who appear good on the surface while aligning themselves with the enemy’s work.
A common temptation for the faithful is to respond to the evil they see with outrage or condemnation. While we must oppose evil, our first and highest duty is not its elimination, but our growth in grace. When we become overly scandalized by evil and attempt to purge it ourselves, we can lose sight of God’s providence and risk causing greater harm.
For example, if one of a family’s children stops going to Mass, the parents might be tempted to react with condemnation or pressure to return to Mass attendance. But God does not coerce; He invites. A more fruitful approach would be to remain close to—let’s say in this case, the son—extending love and patience. The visible fruit of grace in his parents’ lives can become a quiet witness that draws the son back. Harsh criticism might push him further away. In trying to “pull up the weeds,” the parents might also “uproot the wheat,” harming others still open to grace.
Reflect today on the need for patient endurance in the face of the evils God permits us to encounter. Resist the temptation to act rashly or judge hastily. Trust that in God’s time, all will be revealed. In the meantime, strive to be like the golden wheat—humble, fruitful, and bowed in reverence before the Lord. For it is not the appearance of goodness, but the fruit it bears, that makes a soul fit for the Master’s barn.
Most patient Lord, though You could return in glory and bring an end to all evil in an instant, You permit its continued presence out of divine wisdom and mercy, always calling souls gently back to Yourself. Grant me the grace of patient endurance, that I may love the sinner without condoning the sin. Let my highest aim be to bear abundant fruit for Your Kingdom, undistracted by the darkness around me, and unshaken by the presence of evil. Strengthen my heart to remain rooted in grace, and fixed upon You. Jesus, I trust in You.
Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.” Matthew 13:24–25
This parable begins in a very good way. It states that good seed was sown. In other words, the pure Gospel was preached into good soil. This should be understood as any situation where the preacher is truly effective and where the Gospel reaches many ears and is planted in many hearts. This is worth rejoicing over. But this parable quickly points out that those responsible for guarding the good soil in which the Word of God was planted, failed in their duty to protect it. As a result, the “enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat.” In other words, the evil one also had sown his lies into the hearts of those who heard the Word of God, and those lies took root and began to grow.
This is a clear description of the world we live in today. First, it’s a description of the hearts of many Christians who have heard the Word of God and have responded, only to also struggle with doubts, confusions and lies sown by the evil one. But it is also a clear description of the world as a whole and even of the Church on earth. There are many divisions within societies and even within the Church. There are many competing voices. And among those whose hearts are good soil, it can be hard to distinguish between that which is from God and that which is a subtle deception from the evil one.
The weed referred to in this parable is called cockle. Cockle was a weed that, as it grew, looked much like wheat. It was very difficult to distinguish from wheat until the grain began to appear. But when the grain did begin to appear, it was clearly distinguishable. And if the cockle were to accidentally be ground in with the wheat, it would cause nausea when eaten.
The parable is quite clear. The lies that the evil one sows in the hearts of the faithful, those with fertile hearts, are very subtle, especially at first. It is easy for those subtle lies to confuse us. The evil one rarely succeeds in misleading the faithful through grave and obvious errors. Therefore, he deceives with small errors. As a result, the error is often not understood until much later as the fruit is born. The result is division, confusion, conflict and the like—conflict within our own souls, within our world and even within our Church.
What is the solution? Vigilance. We, as followers of Christ, must be exceptionally vigilant in regard to that which we allow our hearts to receive. Just because something sounds good at first doesn’t make it good. This is why we have the Scripture, the Magisterium of the Church and the teachings of the saints. We must constantly examine all that we allow into our hearts, our families, our world and our churches in the light of the pure and consistent teachings of our faith. And when we see divisions, this is a clear sign of some subtle error that has crept in. In the end, at the harvest time, when we all face Christ our Lord at our judgments, He will separate the good from the bad. But for our part, vigilance is essential so that only the pure seed of God’s Word is received by us and sown by us.
Reflect, today, on your own soul as fertile ground. What “seed” is sown there? What do you allow to penetrate your heart and take root? Are you vigilant, remaining attentive to the ways that the evil one tries to mislead you through subtle lies and errors? Ponder these questions honestly, and if you find conflict and confusion in your life, look more deeply at the source of these troubles. If there are lies that you have allowed into your own life, then turn them over to our Lord so that He can remove them at the proper time.
Most holy Word of God, You are the living Word who sows seed upon the fertile ground of our Hearts. You plant Yourself in the hearts of those who believe so that Your life can bear good fruit in the faithful. Please sow the seed of Your Word in my own heart, dear Lord, and protect me from the deceptions of the evil one. As You do, I pray that You bring forth an abundance of good fruit through me. Jesus, I trust in You.
