Come Holy Spirit Series
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Come Holy Spirit |
Come
Holy Spirit: Walking with Jesus in Ordinary Time
16th
Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
The
Holy Spirit Teaches Us to Trust God's Patient Work
Introduction
Each
week in this series we ask one simple question:
What
is the Holy Spirit doing in this Sunday's Gospel?
This
Sunday's Gospel presents us with the familiar parable of the wheat and the
weeds. It is a story that speaks to every one of us because we know what it is
like to long for perfection—within ourselves, within others, and within the
world.
Yet
instead of urging us to pull up every weed immediately, Jesus reveals something
surprising about the heart of God.
The
Holy Spirit teaches us to trust God's patient work.
The Gospel
"Let
both of them grow together until the harvest..."
— Matthew 13:30
Jesus
tells the story of a farmer whose field has been sown with good seed. During
the night, an enemy scatters weeds among the wheat. The servants immediately
want to remove the weeds, but the master tells them to wait lest they uproot
the wheat as well.
The
harvest will come in its proper time.
What Is the Holy Spirit Doing in This Gospel?
The
Holy Spirit is teaching us patience.
We
often want immediate change.
We
become impatient:
- with
ourselves
- with
other people
- with the
Church
- even
with God.
We
want every weakness removed today.
Every problem solved immediately.
Every wound healed without delay.
But
the Holy Spirit works differently.
He
sees the whole field.
He
knows that while weeds are visible, wheat is quietly growing.
The
Spirit is never discouraged by the unfinished work within us.
Instead,
He patiently nurtures the good that God has already planted, allowing it to
become stronger day by day.
His
focus is not merely on removing the weeds.
His
greater concern is helping the wheat flourish.
Walking
with Jesus This Week
Perhaps
one of the greatest temptations in the spiritual life is to focus only on our
failures.
We
look in the mirror and immediately notice the weeds:
- our
weaknesses
- our
mistakes
- our
shortcomings
- the
places where we wish we were different.
Yet
the Holy Spirit looks at that same heart and sees something more.
He
sees the wheat that is quietly growing.
He
sees every act of kindness.
Every small step of faith.
Every hidden prayer.
Every moment of forgiveness.
Every quiet "yes" offered to God.
Like
a patient gardener, He continues His work, trusting that grace will bear fruit
in its own season.
Learning God's Patience
The
Holy Spirit invites us to become patient gardeners of our own souls.
This
week, perhaps we can practise:
- thanking
God for one area where we can see growth, however small.
- resisting
the temptation to judge ourselves harshly.
- showing
patience toward someone who is still growing.
- remembering
that holiness is usually formed slowly, one faithful day at a time.
- asking
the Holy Spirit not only to remove the weeds but also to strengthen the
wheat.
Growth
takes time.
The
Spirit is never in a hurry.
But
He is always at work.
For
Reflection This Week
- Where am
I becoming impatient with my own spiritual growth?
- Is there
someone in my life whom I need to view with greater patience and hope?
- What
"wheat" can I already see the Holy Spirit growing within me?
Come,
Holy Spirit. Give us the patience to trust Your work, the wisdom to recognise
Your grace, and the hope to believe that You are always bringing forth a
harvest beyond what we can yet see.
Prayer
Come,
Holy Spirit.
Teach
me to trust Your patient work within me.
When
I become discouraged by my weaknesses, remind me that You are still cultivating
the wheat You have planted.
Help
me not to lose heart when growth seems slow.
Give
me patience with myself and with others.
Teach
me to see with Your eyes—eyes that notice not only the weeds, but the quiet
signs of grace already bearing fruit.
Come,
Holy Spirit.
Continue
the good work You have begun within me until the day of Christ Jesus.
Amen.
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