Wis.12:13, 16-19; Ps. 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16; Rom. 8:26-27; Mt. 13:24-43

Today we kneel for a culture of life to pray always for our victory. St. John Paul II called it a “culture of death” and today the secular culture see it spread under the title “cancel culture” until the children of the “good seed” take action for a culture of life.  The children of “good seed” must kneel in prayer against the children of the “weeds” who stand for a “cancel culture” against authority, tradition, and faith in God.  In “The good seed (of) the children of the kingdom” God “rebuke(s) temerity” and “The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness.”  God’s “power” governs his children with “leniency” who in turn “must be kind”.  Faith is power, the power to love with justice and kindness.  It is the faith to call on the Spirit “to the aid of our weakness” to intercede for us and to bring about God’s will on our lives and in this world for a culture of life. 

Often, we ask others to pray for us, a good act of uniting others in prayer with us.  We also turn to others when our faith is shaken and doubt weakens our spirit through difficulty or suffering.  Asking for prayer is good, but minimizing our own faith is not.  We are to look to the parable of the mustard seed to recognize the God of mercy is waiting for us to exercise our faith no matter how small we perceive it in order to do his will in our lives.  Pray always with authority not our own but coming through God to rebuke evil and confront the “weeds” seeking to “cancel” the kingdom of God.    

The world is surrounded by the “weeds” of doubt and despair from lack of faith in God.  When tragedy hits the “weeds” of the world don’t want to hear of prayer but a call to justice.  Justice is to be guided by the Spirit through prayer least it become the action of the evil one who sows division and destruction.  The evil one is spreading his hate in our times through this “cancel culture” seeking to destroy what is good, beauty, truth, and unity.  The children of God must unite in prayer and we will overcome this attack from the evil one towards God and his children. It is an attack against God himself.

This year the children of the weeds have spread wildly seeking a “cancel culture” to destroy the symbols of history, tradition, and faith.  It views the past through the filter of oppression not opportunity.  It seeks not to build up with reform but to tear down through structural change.  We must ask, “what is this new identity for structural change?”  Hidden beneath the three robes of justice, equality and inclusion is not the nirvana of peace but a ravaged hunger for power and vengeance with the murder of past traditions, the boycotts of speech labeled “hate”, burning of institutions of authority and takeover of streets against law and order.  Our power is in God to reject the sins of the world and call down for God’s justice and power as in the days of old and God will not disappoint.

We have received the “good seed” of faith in baptism and grown in the fertile soil of the Church sacraments.  The weeds of sin surround us but we must exercise the seed of faith and claim our power of good over evil.  One day St. Alphonsus Liguori was being tested by demons when he made the Sign of the Cross and commanded the demons to adore this sign with the words, “At the name of Jesus ,every knee should bow, of those in heaven, on earth and under the earth (Phil. 2:10)”.*  It was enough to cause the demons to flee.  We often forget to call on the gift of the Word, the gift of the Holy Spirit and/or on the angels of God for the Spirit “comes to the aid of our weakness” and intercedes for us. 

Padre Pio called the rosary his weapon.  We are given many weapons to fight the good fight, from Holy Water and other sacramentals, to prayers, devotions, scripture, and “inexpressible groanings”.  Most of all we are given his body and blood in the Eucharist.  “There is no god besides you who have the care of all.”  This is not a time for timidity but for exercise of God’s authority over his dominion.  Pray always and the muscle of prayer will defeat the enemy “prowling about the world seeking the ruin of souls.” Today we kneel against the forces of evil for a culture of life to pray always for our victory.

*Thigpen, Paul, Manual for Spiritual Warfare; Tan Books, 2019; pg. 195.