30-07-24 Dari Ulat Menjadi Kupu-Kupu: Transformasi Spiritual Kita

Tuesday 17th week in ordinary time "Mt 13:36-43" His disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." He answered, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil." Our Lord was explaining the parable of the weeds. A man had sown good seed, but whilst he was sleeping "his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat." So when the plants sprouted, the weeds appeared also. In our world today the weeds live with the wheat as well, the good with the evil, and Our Lord wants it to be so. Why? For just one single reason: for our own good. We benefit from that struggle against evil. We may not understand it; but that's because we are not God. A child was raising silkworms. When the butterflies started to break out of their cocoons and start flying, he saw that one of them was struggling for a long time to open the cocoon. It struggled for more than a day until he decided to help it. And with his fingers, he opened the cocoon and released the butterfly. The result was that the butterfly could never fly because it didn't have to fight like the others to open the cocoon. That struggle would have given strength to its wings in order to fly. But if you take away the fight... you take away the capacity to fly. All saints have encountered difficulties but it was only when they faced them and fought hard that they became the saints that we know. Saints, like heroes, can't be such unless they experience difficulties. In the fire of tribulation saints were forged. Diocletian's and Nero's persecutions produced thousands of martyrs. The wars and persecutions of the 20th century have provided more martyrs than all the previous 20 centuries put together. Holiness has always blossomed amongst difficulties and persecutions... why should it be different for you and me? But we haven't been left alone. God is with us. Mary, my Mother, Help of Christians, help me to grow in holiness in the middle of the difficulties that your Son has allowed me to undergo.