16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God's patience

Matthew 13:24-43

How does God's patience work?

In the book of wisdom, God who is all powerful has the power to bring punishment to man, but if he sees that man is repentant, he pours out His mercy upon him and is patient as man lives a life of mercy and conversion.

How does our patience work?

In the modern times, where things are immediately available, the young generation today are regarded as having a short attention span; they may also be impatient with slow computer speed and internet access.  Same may be true for others who have no patience with their parents who lag behind technology.  But could we imagine parents as not having enough patience to bring up their children?  Unless they are corrupted by the modern world, every parent will give up everything just to see the child through.

Patience all works with our relationship with God.  We don't have the patience to serve God, but when our lives are at stake, we immediately call on Him to help us.  How can we call on God when through the years we don't even have the patience to know Him?

Finally, patience works with being Church as well.  We don't have the patience to join organizations or ministries.  But the Church involves itself in the work of salvation.  And salvation is the first one to suffer when we do not offer our time, talent, and treasure in being Church.  How true are Jesus' words: "What good does it do a man if he gains the whole world but suffers the loss of his soul?" (Mt. 16, 26)

Let our patience imitate God's patience and cause salvation to take its course in our lifetime.

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