Readings and meditation on the Word of God on the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 19, 2026

Delivered by Javinsen, Claire and Celine from the Parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Makassar, Indonesia. Wisdom 12: 13.16-19; Rs psalm 86: 5-6.9-10.15-16a; Romans 8: 26-27; Matthew 13: 24-30.THE ENEMY GIVES US OPPORTUNITY The theme for our meditation on this 16thSunday in Ordinary Time is: The Enemy Gives Us Opportunity. A high schoolstudent got praise and gifts from his parents for achieving best grades for allthe subjects in his study. This somehow surprised everyone in the familybecause they still remembered of his grades at the beginning of school thatwere far from expectation. He even got a number of red marks.                                              Why did he change so quickly with his studyachievements when he was in the second and third grade? Did he cheat duringexam in order to get satisfactory grades? These are the common questions thatwere always addressed to him. To those who asked these questions, the boyalways answered wisely, as he said: "Every friend of mine who gets bettergrades than me is my challenger in study, even I want to be better thanhim." This boy continued to follow this way until he finished high school. That teenager's experience is an example of a healthyand good competition. There is also unhealthy and bad competition, which goesthrough bad ways to pursue its goals. In every competition, each competingparty considers its counterpart as an enemy. There are enemies who becomefriends of competition and struggle, so we can be helped to achieve progressand success. Enemies of this quality are considered good enemies, because theygive us the opportunity to become better. But there are enemies who become deadly opponents, whoare moved by hatred, anger and jealousy. We are not helped to become better,instead we are led to a disaster and loss. We naturally and in following thecommon sense, want to have good enemies. God himself is in the category of ourgood enemies. We are sinners. Every time we realize ourselves as sinners, wemust be able to see God as our good enemy, who is patient with us and providesall the opportunities so that we can repent and ultimately return to Him. The parable of coexistence between the seed sower andhis enemy the weed sower, then between the seed that grows together withits  enemy the weed, is so clearly toteach us about the role of the enemy that helps us in this life. Our own familymembers, our friends and people whom we don't know can be our good enemies.Even if we cannot avoid the presence of the dangerous or deadly enemies, thiswas actually already experienced by the Lord Jesus himself and the martyrs whohave gone before us. Such enemies give us opportunities to drink the cup ofsuffering like Jesus Christ did, who is our Teacher and Savior. In this case,we should be grateful and pray for our enemies. Let'spray. In the name of the Father ... O Lord, bless us so that we can live inYour truth and wisdom. Make us good neighbours to those around us. Our Fatherwho art in heaven ... In the name of the Father ...