Homily 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A I Homily 19 July 2026 Year A

 

19 July Wisdom 12:13, 16-19; Romans 8:26-27, Matthew 13:24-43

 

Have you ever asked, "Why doesn't God remove all evil?" or "Is God really listening to my prayers?" Today's readings on the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A answer both questions by revealing a God who is patient, merciful, and always at work through His Spirit.

The Book of Wisdom was written around the first century BC for Jews living in Alexandria, Egypt, who were surrounded by Greek culture and beliefs. The author reminds them that the God of Israel is unlike any other god. He is the one true God who cares for all people and governs the world with both justice and mercy. In today's reading, we discover a beautiful truth about God: His power is revealed not through harsh punishment but through patient love. Unlike human rulers who often use power to control others, God uses His strength to show mercy. Because God is all-powerful, He does not need to prove His power through force. His greatest strength is shown in His patience and mercy. He gives people time to repent and change their lives. God's justice is always balanced by compassion. The final verse gives us an important lesson: "The righteous must be kind." God does not simply ask us to obey Him; He invites us to imitate Him. If God treats us with patience and forgiveness, then we too must show kindness, especially to those who have hurt us or made mistakes. This passage challenges us to rethink how we use our own authority—as parents, teachers, leaders, or friends. True strength is not shown by dominating others but by being patient, merciful, and giving people another chance. When we live this way, we become living signs of God's loving presence in the world.

St. Paul wrote the Letter to the Romans to encourage Christians in Rome who were facing struggles and uncertainty. In today’s reading, Paul reminds them that they are never alone because the Holy Spirit is always with them. Paul speaks about one of the greatest challenges in prayer—we often do not know what to pray for. There are moments when we are confused, overwhelmed, grieving, or simply unable to find the right words. Paul assures us that this is not a failure in prayer. Instead, the Holy Spirit comes to our help. The Spirit prays within us with "sighs too deep for words," expressing to God what our hearts cannot. Prayer is not about saying perfect words or long prayers. It is about opening our hearts to God. Even when we sit in silence before Him, the Holy Spirit is at work, bringing our deepest needs before the Father. The reading also reminds us that God knows our hearts completely. He understands our fears, hopes, and struggles even before we speak. Therefore, we can approach Him with confidence, trusting that the Holy Spirit is guiding our prayers according to God's loving will. Our task is simply to remain open, trusting that God is working within us even when we cannot see or understand His plan.

During my novitiate, one of our regular tasks was weeding the sugarcane fields. At first glance, everything looked green and healthy. But as we bent down and looked carefully, we realized that weeds had quietly grown among the sugarcane. If we ignored them when they were small, they would soon compete with the crop for water and nutrients. Yet, we also had to be careful. Pulling out weeds carelessly could damage the young sugarcane itself.  

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the wheat and the weeds to explain what the Kingdom of God is like. But unlike my novitiate experience, the master tells his servants to wait until the harvest. At first, this seems strange. Why allow the weeds to remain? Jesus is teaching us something profound. First, we are called to be vigilant. The enemy continues to sow seeds of selfishness, pride, hatred, and indifference in our hearts and in our world. The question is: Can we recognize these weeds while they are still small? What are the weeds growing in my life today? Maybe anger, jealousy, gossip, pornography, pride, laziness -or perhaps some other habit that slowly draws us away from God." Small compromises, little resentments, and hidden sins, if left unchecked, can slowly take over our lives.

Second, this parable reveals the mercy of God. God does not rush to condemn. He gives us time to repent, grow, and change. The delay until the harvest is not weakness but mercy. It reminds us of Jesus' words in John 3:16: "For God so loved the world..." His desire is not to destroy but to save. At the same time, the Gospel reminds us that God is also just. Mercy and justice are not opposites. God's mercy offers every opportunity for conversion, but His justice ensures that evil will not have the final word. There will be a harvest when truth is revealed, and every person will answer for the choices they have made.

Jesus gives us two images of the Kingdom. The mustard seed reminds us that even the smallest act of goodness can grow into something great. The yeast reminds us that God often works quietly and unseen. Take this YouTube channel, for example and the sermons that you listen to on it. Initially, there were hardly any people watching and I often wondered whether it was worth continuing. But over time, those videos reached people I never expected and became a source of encouragement for many. We may not always notice God’s work, but He is always at work within us. The Kingdom grows in ways we cannot always measure or comprehend.

This Gospel beautifully reflects what St. Ignatius teaches us in the Daily Examen. He invites us to pause and look back over our day in God's presence and ask ourselves: What seeds of God's grace grew in me today? And what weeds began to take root? Perhaps it was a harsh word, a moment of jealousy, a hidden resentment, or an act of selfishness. Weeds rarely appear overnight; they begin very small. If we notice them early and bring them before the Lord, His grace can uproot them before they grow stronger. The Examen is not about feeling guilty; it is about becoming more aware of how God is working in our lives and cooperating with His grace. May God bless us all.