Fr. James's Sunday Homily: "An Enemy Has Done This"

Every week I post my friend, Fr. James's Sunday Homily. I think this Sunday's is especially relevant and critical. I hope you'll find a few moments to read it through to the end. I would have posted this earlier today, but we had a flat tire to contend with in the Church parking lot on a very hot and humid day.

God bless your Sunday!

Donna-Marie

Fr. James's Homily:

Chapter Thirteen of St. Mathew's Gospel is comprised of seven different parables. For this reason this chapter is usually called the parable discourse. Because the subject matter and themes are similar, the parables are called the kingdom parables.




Jesus' parables are very effective. By drawing on the ordinary routines of daily life, he sheds light on the deepest supernatural mysteries. Thus by reflecting upon the parables we may get a glimpse at the humanity of Jesus and his kindness toward those crowded about him, eager to hear his message of truth. Jesus taught the seven parables on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, sometimes called Lake Gennesaret or Lake Tiberius.




Last week we focused on man's response to God. We have been given the gift of free will and we all respond to God differently. This Sunday, let us focus our attention on the mystery of evil.




Pope Paul VI often commented that this Sunday's gospel passage had proven the most difficult for him to understand. Why does God allow the weeds and the wheat to grow together? Why does God allow evil to co-exist with good?




The Second Vatican Council ushered in an era of excitement and hope for the Catholic Church. Two world wars, the Korean conflict, the global tensions of the Cold War, and the Cuban missile crisis which had brought North America to the brink of destruction, were countered with a time of euphoria.




Shortly after the close of Vatican II, Pope Paul VI was overwhelmed by the universal rejection of many of the Council's teachings. The true teachings of the Council were hijacked, and the post-conciliar crisis ravaged the Church causing massive apostasy.




Throughout the remainder of his pontificate, the Holy Father lived a daily martyrdom. His secretary kept the morning newspapers away from the Pope until later in the day. At one point during the crisis, Paul VI delivered his famous Wednesday General Audience on the smoke of Satan entering through the cracks of the Church. His teaching was met with abundant ridicule, mostly from the clergy.




Pope Paul VI speaking to another General Audience said in 1972: "So we know that this dark disturbing being exists and that he is still at work with his treacherous cunning; he is the hidden enemy who... (Continued here)