16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 19/07/2020

On this Sunday, we focus on the central quality of God; his Merciful Love. And in relation to his characteristic of merciful love, we are reminded that, we always need his forgiveness. His Word gives us assurance that, both his mercy and compassion, and his promise to assist us are his free gifts to us, through his freely offered Holy Spirit, who help us in our weakness.

Truly, the first reading reaffirms this by demonstrating God with mighty strength through his fair judgement. And, because he is lenient and kind to us, we can also be moved to treat others in the same way. The Psalmist makes a prayer to God acknowledging his mercy, compassion, love, and truth, and the Gospel deals with the problem of evil. While we know that God’s kingdom is one of justice, truth, and integrity, it exists all the same, in an imperfect world. However, God is faithful to those who have tried to seek him in the midst of the reality of evil.

While Christianity that manifests the reign of God is not a set of moral rules and norms, at the same time, it demands holiness of life to reveal the reigning God over our lives. Jesus came to reveal this concept and through the parables, he is taking us step by step into such deeper knowledge and appreciation. And therefore, Jesus is challenging us his Christian Disciples to grow into that knowledge and belonging. Notice that last Sunday, he invited us to become productive, and on this Sunday, he is challenging us to develop, and at the end of our earthly journey, God will judge us as worthy servants who made wise decisions, and became productive in good deeds and virtues, and developed them to make his reign here on earth a real experience of love, mercy, truth, and justice, and eventual change and transformation.

This week, Let’s ask for the help of the Spirit, who prays in and for us, to receive what we need to cope with the evils of the world, and with our own weaknesses, and to find our strength in the loving mercy of God.

Joy and Peace.