Realistic, vigilant and hopeful

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

THE explanation Christ gave about the parable of the good seed and the weeds in the field (cfr. Mt 13,36-43) is a lesson for us to be realistic in our life that will always have the mixture of good and evil, but at the same time, always vigilant and hopeful, doing a lot of good without let-up.

It should be a given that in this life we have to contend with many evil elements, first, our own weakened selves, the many temptations in the world, and the devil himself. We just have to learn how to deal with this life-long condition and predicament.

To be realistic in this case can mean that we cannot avoid getting dirty along the way. We should not expect that we can come out of this life without some dirt, some cuts and bruises, some suffering and the cross itself. But as long as we continue to be vigilant and hopeful, using all the means made available so we can continue to struggle effectively, we know that victory is assured for us. Christ guarantees it.

We always have to remember that while we have to do all that we can, in the end it would be God who will take care of everything, who will perfect and complete things that we get involved in, who will make the final judgment as to which is good and which is bad.

But, yes, we have to upgrade our vigilance skills especially these days when we are living in an increasingly complex world. The powerful new things we are enjoying these days, while giving us a lot of conveniences and advantages, can also occasion greater danger since they can also lead us to graver forms of self-indulgence and other disorders not only in terms of physical, mental, psychological health, but more so in terms of our spiritual and moral health.

We should not take this need for granted. We have to continually update and upgrade our vigilance skills. Remember Christ telling his disciples: “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life…Be vigilant at all times.” (Lk 21,34.36)

We also need to stretch some more our patience, or our capacity to suffer, to bear the burdens and pressures of the times, the unavoidable sins and their consequences. In that parable of the wheat and the weeds, the master told the servants not to uproot the weeds in the meantime since it would just also damage the wheat. He advised them to wait till harvest time when the separation can be finally made.

But we should continue to do a lot of good. Let’s see to it that the new powerful technologies we are having these days are used to widen our scope of apostolic work, entering into all sorts of networking in order to spread more widely and extensively the word of God and the spirit of Christ.

We have to feel the urgency of this need and duty, otherwise these powerful technologies would be left in the hands of the enemies of God and of our soul. Nowadays, we cannot deny that powerful groups and forces, with their own questionable ideologies, are busy using these powerful means to spread their false doctrines.

In all these, let’s see to it that we avoid falling into bitter zeal which would undermine the good deeds and intentions we have.

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com