Homily for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, delivered in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Gladstone, Qld.

"You show your strength when your sovereign power is questioned and you expose the insolence of those who know it;
but, disposing of such strength, you are mild in judgement, you govern us with great lenience, for you have only to will, and your power is there. By acting thus you have taught a lesson to your people how the virtuous man must be kindly to his fellow men, and you have given your sons the good hope that after sin you will grant repentance." (cf. Wis 12).

"All the nations shall come to adore you and glorify your name, O Lord: for you are great and do marvellous deeds, you who alone are God." (cf. Ps 86).

"... God who knows everything in our hearts knows perfectly well what he means, and that the pleas of the saints expressed by the Spirit are according to the mind of God." (Rom 8:27).

"Jesus put another parable before the crowds: The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, the darnel appeared as well. The owner’s servants went to him and said, 'Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?' 'Some enemy has done this' he answered. And the servants said, 'Do you want us to go and weed it out?' But he said, 'No...'" (cf. Mt 13).

Artwork: an image of abundant wheat to be offered on the altar, generated using the Wonder app.