Daily Reflections ...

In today’s Gospel, the disciples implore Jesus to explain to them the meaning of the parable about the farmer discovering weeds in his field. On the surface, the presence of weeds could be attributed to natural causes e.g. wind driving weed seeds into an adjoining field or weeds flourishing and spreading across fences. Jesus insists there is a more sinister cause for this infestation, the purposeful action of ‘an enemy’ that plants weeds deliberately to render the crop useless.

The request of the disciples to seek a deeper understanding of what is at play, leads Jesus to detail the battle between good and evil forces. This knowledge is critical to their mission so they can be aware of the forces underpinning opposition and persecution in their efforts to proclaim the Gospel. Jesus empowers them to ‘cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.’ (Matthew 10:8) They are to be ‘wise as serpents and innocent as doves’ when faced with evil and persecution.

What are the weeds in our lives that are growing in our minds, hearts, habits and actions? Do we harbour evil thoughts about others? Are we jealous when others do well? Do we gossip, lie and slander others on social media? Awareness of how these seeds are planted in our lives is critical if we are to reap a healthy and wholesome harvest. A daily examen, discerning the movements of good and bad spirits, is a powerful tool that helps us identify and remove ‘weeds’ from our lives. Repenting, seeking forgiveness and changing our thoughts and behaviours kill these weeds and create fertile soil for good habits to flourish.

by Mike Humphrys