Sometimes in life we are simply watching the clock, waiting for something happen. God promises that one day he will bring in his Kingdom; we not only wait for it, but can also play our part in bringing it about. Fr Richard reflects on today’s readings from Mass.
Readings for Tuesday of the 17th week of ordinary time can be found here.
Have you ever “watched the clock”? You’re enduring an experience that you wish would be over and so you keep checking the time, almost willing the clock to tick round a bit faster. Perhaps it was a lesson you hated at school, a boring church meeting (no such thing exists in South Cardiff, of course), or a football match where your team is hanging on for a win. Although wishing time away is probably not to be encouraged, watching the clock is, in a strange way, an expression of hope. We have the hope that whatever torture we’re going through will eventually be over, and better times will follow.
In different ways our readings today express this hope that, despite all its problems, the world is moving towards some kind of salvation. The prophet Jeremiah is famous for his bleak messages of doom, and at first glance today’s passage fits this bill. He talks of the nation being shattered, people pierced by the sword and diseases of famine. Yet the reading finishes on a note of hope, with Jeremiah acknowledging that only God can bring the nation out of this terrible moment.
The hope in our Gospel reading focuses on God’s judgement at the end of the age, when he will get rid of all that is evil (the weeds) and reward the righteous (the wheat). Christian hope is not just about watching the clock, however. We have a role to play in hastening God’s kingdom, whether by repenting and trusting in God, as Jeremiah did, or seeking to be the good wheat in the world, witnessing to God’s love through our words and deeds.
Mass today is in St Mary’s at 6.30pm.
If you’d like more resources for daily prayer, check out our Day By Day pages.
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