Pulling Weeds

Those pesky garden weeds in my garden

PULLING WEEDS

Having a vegetable garden I am familiar with the concept of pulling weeds. Sometimes you just have to let them grow along side the crop because yanking them out may also dislodge the plant from the ground.  In the parable today, the master decides to allow the crop and weeds to subsist until it is harvest time. Then the two can be separated.

I think that the same can be said for some of our sins. Some of them persist habitually while we are nurtured with the water of life, Jesus Christ. It is not easy to get rid of the grievous parts of our being especially if they are well rooted. Some of these faults one would rather cling to instead of eradicating it. They are too convenient to gravitate to when in need of escape from reality or facing up to a challenging situation.  If the good Lord would suddenly take away all our faults I could only imagine we might be left bare with nothing to grasp on to. What would I do if resentment were taken away, or if "justified anger" were removed. The weeds along with plant would be completely uprooted.

  MUSTARD SEEDS

We then must have just a little bit of faith, perhaps a mustard seed's worth that will allow us to move forward. Planting that seed in one's heart can be the beginning of rewarding faith-filled life. Maybe it begins with dedicated prayer time or attending daily Mass. Or those dusty pages of Bible are opened up in order to follow along with daily readings. Each spiritual movement is allowing the plant to grow more healthy and bear fruit - the fruit of life.

WEEDS ARE OK

Over time the weeds no longer seem to prevail along side of the plant. They may dry up or even go to seed. Some may even altogether disappear, not to resurrected again. Others may reappear seasonally, but not be ever present. Thus that seed that once seemed so small has taken root and not allowed the worries and sin to prevail. The fruit or flowers may be gathered at harvest time for the benefit of others. So it is tolerable to have a few weeds around. After all we are still human.