Weeds and flowers in God's bouquet

Good News ReflectionTuesday of the 17th Week in Ordinary TimeJuly 28, 2009
Today's Readings:Ex 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28Ps 103:6-13Matt 13:36-43http://www.usccb.org/nab/072809.shtmlUSCCB Podcast of the Readings:http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_07_28.mp3
Weeds and flowers in God's bouquet
The explanation of the harvest at the end of time, which Jesus gives us in today's Gospel reading, raises, in my mind, the question: Why do we have to wait until the end of the world for God to rescue us from evildoers? I want them out of my life – NOW!
Oops, how selfish of me! That would make my life extremely easier, but what about the people who are weeds in my plot of land in the field? What about their lives? What about their ETERNAL lives?
We Christians are nurtured in the garden of God's love to grow strong and tall, as beautiful flowers, so that we can make the world a prettier place. We have been commissioned by Christ to go into the world with our fragrance, the perfume of heaven, to affect the lives of the weedy, so that they, too, will want to join the bouquet of God's kingdom.
If weeds are yanked out too early (such as when criminals are executed by a death penalty), they lose opportunities that God had planned for their conversion. Then, we who wanted our soils free of their filth will have to explain to God why we didn't care about their souls.
Oh, and by the way, some weeds are quite ugly, but some are very pretty. We have to learn to recognize the difference between beautiful weeds and true flowers so that we aren't duped into accepting their sins as okay and end up joining them in their filth. But what IS that difference?
A weed is any plant that's growing where it's not supposed to be. Grass is a weed in a corn field, but on my lawn, corn would be the weed. A weed-person is anyone who has planted themselves in the field of God but is not really committed to being one of his beautiful flowers.
My job, as a commissioned Christian – and yours, too – is to help weed-people discover their true beauty and fragrance, in other words: who they are as children of God and how they are called to grow into beautiful flowers.
All weeds started out as plants that God made and called "good." In their rightful place, doing what God designed them to do, they're not weeds. But by growing in ways that they were not designed to do, they became evil-doers. Weeds are unblossomed flowers who have not discovered their true identities as children of God nor their true callings as servants of God. Many die in this state. Others live a long time in self-inflicted misery and slavery to sin before they turn to God in desperation.
Instead of complaining about the evildoers, we should do what we were commissioned and empowered by God to do: Reach out to the weeds and help them discover their inner beauty and awaken their desire to be true flowers in God's bouquet.
© 2009 by Terry A. ModicaFor PERMISSION to copy any of my reflections, go to:http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm
Seeking a past reflection?Click this button to register for the searchable Archive Library of the Good News Reflections. One week access is free as a special gift to subscribers of these emailed reflections.
WAS THIS FORWARDED TO YOU BY A FRIEND?To sign up for your own subscription, go to:http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections
Why do I need you as a partner in my daily ministry?Please help with a donation, including non-financial support. Good News Ministries affects countless lives around the world, including in countries where people have no Catholic Mass and where Christianity is persecuted. continue...
Note: Good News Ministries is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources™ is my employment through which I provide my writing services; the income from this (although very small at these early stages) will eventually support the future growth and projects of Good News Ministries. Please spread the word; tell your DRE, RCIA Director, pastor, etc. about what's available for parishes at Catholic Digital Resources™.
______________________________________________________________This is the "Good News Reflections - Early Edition" mailing list.MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION:Change your addressUnsubscribe