16TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME HOMILY YEAR A 2026
PARABLE OF THE WEEDS AND THE WHEAT, THE MUSTARD SEED AND THE LEAVEN OR THE YEAST
CATHOLIC MISSION APPEAL ALSO
LIVING IN THE REAL WORLD IN ITS DIMENSIONS OF GOOD AND EVIL
Mt 13.24-43 Wis 12.15,16-19 Rom 8.26-27
This week I was fortunate to be invited to “School of Rock”, a musical performed by the students of Ave Maria College, and it was great to see the wonderful skills of these young ladies, demonstrated in acting, dance, speech and song. It was clear that an enormous amount of time and work had gone into preparing for the show. It was a good, but surprising morality tale, where a fake teacher and failed musician talks his way into a classroom, and subversively starts to form the students into a rock band, far from the set syllabus of science, geography, history, maths and presumably English, meant to be taught!
He ends up bringing out the best in students who lacked self-confidence, but whose talents are brought to the fore, with this unconventional and unqualified teacher’s encouragement. There’s a more than a bit of deception along the way, but ultimately, the band finds success at the Battle of the Bands, and our imposter teacher ends up as a music teacher, who has earned respect and trust through his credibility with the students. Congratulations and well done to all involved!
Well you might ask, what’s that got to do with this weekend’s Gospel theme? I figure it could be linked to the theme of the unpredictable nature of the world in which we live. Jesus presents another few parables related to growth in the real world, where there is such diversity and such a mixture of elements in life around us. It’s a world where things can be so unpredictable, and we need to be ready and adaptable to change and making good choices!
Often enough, I refer to the www, in terms of the wide and wonderful world, but also a weird or wild and wicked world, not to forget the wonders of the world wide web, which, for all of its usefulness and access to information and ease of communication, can have a very dark side as well, when used for perverse purposes. What is needed is monitoring and direction in access and proper use of the technology, as is also the case with AI (Artificial Intelligence), as we are becoming more aware of its influence, primarily for good, but also aware of its capacity for insidious abuse.
Throughout human history, right up to today, there have been people who have sought to escape what can be described as the evils of the world out there, forming communes or small communities, where they hope to share a utopian ideal of a good society, away from the temptations and things that might be seen to lead in the wrong direction. It might seem easier to have a leader who controls and directs, so that members are freed of personal responsibility and decision-making, but this is hardly human. Generally speaking, these types of groups, which might be described as cults or sects, implode, as the younger generation seek independence and freedom to engage with the broader world anyway. And there is also the likelihood of the older generation becoming disillusioned, as the realization sets in, that there is no escape anywhere, from the imperfections of human nature, starting with ourselves, and then seeing the flaws, as well as the beauty, of the real world.
And so, the parable of the weeds and the wheat is a down to earth reflection on the fact that there is no perfect world, full of light and goodness, free of darkness and evil. Jesus is looking at the reality of temptation, the human capacity for choosing good or evil, and the need for time for growth and improvement along the way. Then Matthew has a bit of gender-balancing, with the man planting the minute mustard seed, and the woman kneading the flour dough, adding the yeast to ensure the bread will rise when baked.
Whatever about the world out there, Jesus is reflecting on the need for perseverance and encouragement of what is good for growth and productivity, despite the obstacles and difficulties that inevitably arise along the way. In the end, it is God who will be the judge, so that, along the way of life for all of us, the challenge is to do our best, and pick ourselves up, with a little help from our friends, when we fail. We just have to deal with the things that get in the way of us trying to live a good life, which we are, genuinely and generally, aiming to do.
Ultimately, the reassurance is given that growth will win out, and that the Kingdom will flourish, with light and love, justice and peace, as its criteria. And that’s where we belong, as people of faith in him who calls us to follow in hope.
Brendan Byrne SJ has this insight: “The parable can apply to the world as a whole, to the Church, to any smaller community within the Church, or even to an individual person’s own moral and spiritual life. So often a person’s or a community’s good qualities spring from the same source as their reprehensible ones. An irascible person may be vigorous in struggling for justice; a laid-back character a good listener – and so on. Christianity’s long history of intolerance – the Inquisition etc. – shows the tragedy and folly of being more zealous to root out evil than to encourage good. Jesus seems to suggest that God can cope for quite a time with the continuing existence of evil in order to preserve or promote a wider good…. The kingdom may not have spectacular beginnings, but, as proclaimed and enacted by Jesus, it is quietly and effectively working transformation.”
Meanwhile Claude Mostowik MSC says: “Good and bad, justice and injustice, kindness and insensitivity, life and death, joy and sorrow are realities. Everyone and everything are a mixed bag – not all weeds and not all wheat. This applies to the Church, our country and ourselves. The weeds are not just out there in the world, but closer at hand. We need to be realistic about ourselves and others, without justifying selfishness, unkindness and violence.” He then quotes Solzhenitsyn: “The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of one’s own heart?”
Once again, it’s up to you and me to choose good over evil, and to deal positively with our own dark side, which can drag us down at times. To acknowledge it is there, is a good start to dealing with, and defeating it!!
john hannon 19th July 2026