Scripture Reflection - July 19, 2026

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wisdom 12:13, 16-19. Romans 8:26-29 Matthew 13:24-43 or 13:24-30

In today’s first reading, the words that catch my attention are: “Those who are just must be kind.”  If there is one attribute of Jesus and God that stands out, it is kindness. Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, kindness is often observed when God is communicating with the prophets and the stiff-necked Israelites.  When punishment is threatened, the people plead for mercy, and God often relents. The life of Jesus and His interaction with those He met are lessons in kindness, revealed in so many Gospel passages.

For me, the question is:  How do I decide what I should do in a world where I can do almost anything? Or how do I decide what I should never do?

Consider the freedom God provides for all of us, and our daily choices in exercising that freedom. The Book of Wisdom teaches us that God is the ultimate power, unchallenged by any other force in the universe. How do I respond to my choices of power, which demonstrate that I am a follower of the almighty? How do I choose kindness in my relationships with others?

Paul instructs the Romans that the Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness. The Holy Spirit intercedes with inexpressible groaning.  In baptism, we received the blessing that sent us forth into the world with three powerful forces to combat the evil within us and around us.

The three parables of Jesus invite us to reflect more deeply.  Do we think about the wheat thriving along with the weeds?  Do we see ourselves as a tiny mustard seed that provides shelter for the birds of the sky?  Is the yeast used in bread making what we are to be?  Which image resonates with you?

The apostles were curious about the final judgment and feared they could be counted among the weeds, but women know that yeast is what makes good bread rise. Mixing the yeast with flour provides a recipe for life.  We share the essence that gives life its zest. The weeds and mustard seed are negatives images in the message.  Can we instead see the positive image of the yeast within us, and we can be the leaven that helps creates a community of peace?

Weeds and mustard invade crops that are harvested for food. People with good intentions live alongside those who show little kindness, yet we are called to somehow limit the influence of those things and people that challenge kind actions.

During Holy Week, Jesus failed to change the minds and hearts of those who crucified Him, but He has left us the example of one who lived a life of kindness and overcame death.

At the hour of our death, may we be remembered as a just and kind person.

Sr. Dorothy Maxwell, OP