In His time

THE STORY is told about a man who said to his wife: "You know, you are beautiful but stupid at the same time." The wife responded: "Yes. God made me beautiful, that's why you got attracted to me. And God made me stupid, that's why I got attracted to you."

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The parable of the wheat and the weeds (Mt. 13, 24-30) best describes the human condition: There is in our midst and in each one of us the presence of the good (wheat) and the bad (weeds). Beauty and stupidity thrive side by side. But it's not a no-win situation. The good news is that, in His time, goodness will triumph over evil. The evildoers will be thrown into the fire, and the righteous will shine like the sun, in time, in His time.

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The parable of the wheat and the weeds also best describes the situation our country is now in. It seems like we are in a no-win situation right now, with different factions standing their ground, with no prospect of unity and peace in sight. One even gets the feeling that the evildoers seem to get the upper hand and to get away with all their dirty tricks. One might even ask: Where is God? Is He sleeping? Why does He allow the evildoers to prosper and the good to suffer? The Good News is that God does not sleep. He knows everything, and He will make all things beautiful, in His time. Like the mustard seed and the yeast, the good and the righteous -- not the liars and the evildoers -- will triumph.

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We all have an agenda in life. We all want to push our own agenda, naturally. But, what about God's agenda? Who is pushing it amid all the haze and confusions? In our own minds, we all believe that we are doing what is right. But what is really right in God's mind? While we cannot fathom God's mind, we can know with certainty what He wants. He wants us to be true and good, at all times. The problem is that truth and goodness are oftentimes compromised, hidden and silenced for the sake of order and expediency.

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There is wheat and there are weeds in us and among us. The battle rages on. And then, there are people who vacillate between being wheat and weed, "wheeds," let us call them. They are the fence-sitters who do not take a stand, who evaluate and assess the situation, and eventually come out only when it is already safe and profitable to do so. Wheeds are neither hot nor cold, neither here nor there. Wheeds, you may survive and thrive in life, but in the end, wheeds, be warned: "Because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of my mouth." (Rev. 3, 15-15)

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The bishops have spoken. In His time, we hope that the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) stand regarding our present situation will find its mark in our people's hearts. While some received it with joy ("Thank you, bishops!"), others received it with disgust and disappointment, feeling that the bishops spoke as priests and kings, but not so much as prophets. Peter was there, but where was Paul? Again, there is a big picture, there is a reason and there is a mission in everything that happens in our lives. Let the wheat and the weeds grow together. In His time the wheat will be gathered into His barn, and the weeds will be thrown into the fire. But wait. Let's not leave it all to God though. We all have to ask the question: Did I help the wheat grow, or did I allow the weeds to grow?

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This text message goes very much in line with our bishops' call for prayer and discernment: "Oftentimes, we say too much that we fail to listen to what God is telling us. Answered prayers come to those who give silence a chance to speak." Let us all look deep in our hearts and listen to God in prayer, because only in humble prayer can we really sift the wheat and the weeds in us and among us.

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Fr. Robert Reyes, the running priest, has literally stood still. He is at the People Power Monument at the Edsa highway, praying and fasting for peace for a week now. At every age and time, God raises up prophets in our midst who disturb us, remind us and point the way for us. A prophet's life is not easy. Neither is it comfortable. It is strewn with persecution. For those who think that he is overacting, think again. Are you doing anything at all about the present situation? Perhaps, all of us should put up prayer and fasting centers for peace in all our parishes and institutions while the political impasse goes on.

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The column salutes this woman. She has braved out a lot of persecution, withstood all the pressures and onslaughts on her person, and remained strong and focused in her mission through it all. Yes, we admire her: Mama Mary, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, whose feast we celebrated yesterday.

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Fr. Leonardo Mercado, SVD has come out with his book "Essays on Filipino Philosophy" now available at all leading bookstores.

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A moment with the Lord:

Lord, help me to believe that your delays are not your denials, and that you make all things beautiful in your time. Amen.