Reflection Date: July 19, 2026 | Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: Wisdom 12:13, Romans 8:26-27; 16-19; Matthew 13:24-43
Children of God:
There were moments in recent history when many people thought that the sexual abuse scandals in the Church would signal the end of Catholicism.
The revelations of grave offenses committed by some clergy shocked countless faithful and wounded many victims and their families.
Some predicted that the Church would collapse under the weight of these sins.
Yet, successive Popes have tried to listen to survivors and seek healing.
St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis met personally with victims during many apostolic journeys.
More recently, during his visit to Spain, Pope Leo XIV met privately with survivors at the Vatican embassy in Madrid.
During the hour-long encounter, he listened attentively to their painful experiences and received proposals on how the Church can improve its response to abuse, prevent future crimes, and better support victims.
He described clergy sexual abuse as a "scourge" and an "open wound" in the Church, insisting that victims deserve listening, protection, and healing.
The Church has been wounded by sin, but it has not been destroyed because Christ continues to purify and guide His people.
In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus narrated the parable of the wheat and the weeds, teaching that good and evil often grow together until the final judgment.
What are our inspirations for today?
First, God remains at work even when evil exists around us.
In the gospel story of Matthew, Jesus spoke of a farmer who sowed good seed in his field, but an enemy secretly planted weeds among the wheat.
The servants wanted to uproot the weeds immediately, but the master told them to wait lest they also uproot the wheat.
Jesus recognized that evil existed in the world and even within the community of believers.
Yet He did not allow evil to have the final word.
This message is very relevant today.
We become scandalized when we encounter hypocrisy, corruption, or betrayal, especially within the Church or among people we admire.
Such experiences can shake our faith.
But Jesus never promised a community composed only of saints.
He promised that He would remain with His people despite their weaknesses.
The presence of weeds should not make us abandon the field.
Instead, it should move us to become better wheat ourselves.
The failures of others are not excuses to stop loving God or serving His people.
Christ continues to work quietly in His Church, producing holiness even amid human brokenness.
God remains at work even when evil exists around us.
Second, God is patient because He desires salvation, not destruction.
Jesus explained that the harvest represented the end of the age, when God would separate the righteous from the wicked.
Until that moment, God allowed time for growth, conversion, and repentance.
Divine patience is not indifference.
It is mercy giving sinners the opportunity to return.
Many of us want immediate justice.
When someone hurts us, we desire instant punishment.
Yet God often works slowly.
He knows that hearts can change.
Some who were once far from God eventually become faithful disciples, while some who once appeared holy can sadly fall away.
This challenges us to avoid becoming harsh judges of others.
We must oppose evil and seek justice, especially for victims, but we also entrust final judgment to God.
Justice and mercy belong together in the Christian life, because God's deepest desire is always the salvation of His children.
God is patient because He desires salvation, not destruction.
As we reflect today, we ask ourselves: Do I lose faith whenever I encounter sin and weakness in the Church or in society?
Am I patient with the imperfections of others while continuing to stand for truth and justice? How am I becoming good wheat in the field where God has planted me?
Children of God:
Good and evil continue to coexist in families, communities, nations, and even within our own hearts.
The scandals and sins that wound the Church are painful realities that must never be ignored or minimized.
Victims deserve truth, justice, healing, and protection.
At the same time, these failures do not erase the presence of Christ among His people.
God continues to raise saints in every generation.
This should inspire us to become faithful disciples who bear good fruit.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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