Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ, 

A little boy, not familiar with an echo, thought he had heard in the woods the voice of another boy not far off. He shouted, Hello there, and the voice of another boy not far off he shouted, hello there! and the voice shouted back, hello there. He cried again, who are you? and the voice replied who are you? he cried once more, you are a mean boy, and the cry came back, you are a  mean boy. Then the little boy went home and told his mother that there was a bad boy in the woods. His mother understood how it was and said to him, you speak kindly to him and see if he does not speak kindly to you. The boy went to the woods again and shouted, you are a good boy and of course the echoing reply came, you are a good boy.  I love you, he said loudly, I love you replied.  The story of the echo is the story of life.

Today’s readings teach us that God is ever patient and compassionate. He bears with us.  If God, the owner of the harvest, lets the weeds and wheat grow together, we too should be patient with the good and evil, sinners and saints.

1st Reading Wisdom 12: 13- 19:  God’s power consists in His abundant goodness and love.  God’s wisdom encompasses and goes beyond time and space.  He forgives sinners and invites them to repentance and guides us to Himself. 

2nd reading Romans 8:26,27:  In our weakness God comes to our help. The intercession of the Spirit on our behalf enhances the intensity and efficacy of the prayer. 

The experience of evil discourages many.  The good and bad, sinners and saints are everywhere.   A Chinese proverb says, ‘One moment of patience may ward off great disaster, one moment of impatience may ruin a whole life.’

Evil has a seed of destruction within itself.  Evil has a day of judgement, a day of harvest and on that day it will be gathered and burnt.  Though we come across good and bad every day, we should not lose heart.  To complain that things are going from bad to worse is to take a pessimistic view.  A perfect humanity and a perfect church never existed and will never exist. 

Instead of bowing down our heads in despair we have to courageously confront the evil in and around us through good.  We have to view and measure things according to the norms of Christ in the light of the Gospel, as long as we are engaged in our earthly pilgrimage.   We have to do good works for our own purification and for that of others.  God wants us to be helpful, generous and kind to others following His precepts and examples. 

The message of Christ has Changed and Transformed millions.  It has brought hope and meaning to our lives.  It should help us also to become better individuals and better Christians and enable us to build up a community where in Christian Charity and benevolence flourish so that others might say, there is a lot of good in us. 

Aristotle: Everyone is well informed on local and world affairs to be courteous, unselfish, friendly, dependable, responsible, obey the laws and give good examples.  If an individual is interested in himself or herself, only, he is very small.  If an individual is interested in his or her family, he is larger, if an individual is interested in his or her community he is larger still.

So therefore, brothers and sisters, let us reach out to people, our family, our friends and our community like Jesus is teaching us in today’s readings, be compassionate, be patient towards people, as God has been patient and compassionate to each of us.

Amen