Our first reading describes the ways of God, or perhaps better expressed, the patterns of grace that impact our lives. No wonder it’s complicated. God is mighty and powerful, but judges with clemency and governs with leniency. Putting the two together—power and restraint—is difficult for us. How can we combine justice based on law and order with clemency and patience expressed as kindness?
Only God can put it all together, it seems.
Today’s parable gives us a start. It counsels patience and warns us against the rigidity that is the seed bed for intolerance and does so much harm in the world. But then there are other parables, too, the express the opposite truth.
If meeting this high challenge of divine discretion is daunting, Paul’s assurance in the middle reading should encourage us. As Paul reminds us, the Spirit prays within us and inspires us to discern where God is calling us.
—Walter Modrys SJ
This Sunday’s readings can be found on the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website.
believe. teach. practice. 