Dear brothers and sisters, one of the most difficult questions people ask is, If God is good, why does evil continue to exist? We see violence, injustice and suffering in the world. We witness broken families, declining respect for human dignity, growing indifference to faith and countless personal struggles. Sometimes we also discover weeds growing within our own hearts. This Sunday’s readings do not give us an easy answer but they reveal something even more important that God’s justice is always guided by His mercy and His patience is an invitation to conversion.

In the first reading (Wisdom 12:13, 16–19), the sacred author reflects on God’s unique power. Written for Jews living in Alexandria, Egypt, where they were surrounded by pagan beliefs and powerful rulers, the Book of Wisdom reminds God’s people that unlike earthly rulers who often abused their authority, God exercises His power with gentleness. “Your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all.” True strength, therefore, is shown not by crushing the weak but by giving sinners time to repent. That message is desperately needed today. Our culture often mistakes loudness for strength and revenge for justice. Social media can encourage instant judgement, public humiliation and the refusal to forgive mistakes. God shows us another way. He never ignores sin but neither does He rush to condemn. He patiently seeks to restore the sinner before executing judgement.

In the second reading (Romans 8:26–27), St Paul speaks to Christians in Rome who were facing uncertainty and persecution. Many wondered how to remain faithful amid suffering. Paul reassures them that even when they do not know how to pray, “the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.” Prayer is not about finding perfect words but about allowing the Holy Spirit to pray within us. Many people today know that experience. There are moments when grief, anxiety, illness or disappointment leave us speechless. Parents worry about their children. Families carry the pain of division. Young people struggle with identity and purpose. Elderly people quietly endure loneliness. At such times, we may feel that our prayers are weak or inadequate. Paul reminds us that God’s Spirit is already praying within every faithful heart. Even our silence can become a prayer when offered to God.

In the Gospel (Matthew 13:24–43), Jesus tells the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds. Matthew wrote for Jewish Christians who expected God’s Kingdom to eliminate evil immediately. Instead, they found themselves living alongside opposition, false teaching and persecution. Jesus explains that until the final harvest, wheat and weeds will grow together. The servants want to pull up the weeds immediately but the master refuses because they might also uproot the wheat. Jesus teaches that God sees far more than we do. We judge by appearances; God judges the heart. He alone knows who is still capable of repentance and transformation. This parable challenges us personally. It is often easier to identify the faults of others than to confront our own. We become experts at criticising politicians, neighbours, family members or even people within the Church, while overlooking the pride, impatience, gossip or selfishness that quietly grow in our own lives. Jesus invites us first to cultivate the wheat within ourselves through daily conversion.

The parable also offers hope. Every saint once struggled with weakness and many great sinners became holy because God gave them time to change. Peter denied Christ yet became the leader of the apostles. Paul persecuted Christians yet became the Apostle to the Gentiles. God’s patience made their conversion possible. The Church is called to reflect that same patience. Our parishes should never lower the standards of the Gospel but neither should they become places where people feel condemned before they are welcomed. The truth must always be proclaimed but it must be proclaimed with compassion. We are called to accompany people patiently as they grow towards Christ, remembering that each of us is still a work in progress.

We can ask if we are quick to judge others while excusing our own faults. Do we trust God’s patience enough to seek His mercy through repentance? And lastly, are we allowing the Holy Spirit to strengthen us, especially when we do not know how to pray? May this Eucharist nourish the wheat that God has planted within us. May His Word remove the weeds of sin from our hearts. And may we become people who reflect both the truth and the mercy of Christ, patiently awaiting the day when God will gather His faithful into the fullness of His Kingdom. Amen.