Humanity is mixed with good and evil. We try our best, but we cannot overcome evil. There is concupiscence, Adam and Eve fell into sin by disobedience to God. We are inheritors of our first parents’ ways. We too are sinners, we have that tendency to sin. At the same time, we yearn to be like God our Father. We long to be good, true, and virtuous.

There is a battle between good and evil in our souls. We ourselves are a mixture of weeds and wheat. But we are not able to overcome that tendency to be attracted to what’s wrong. On the other hand, we want to be like our heavenly Father.

As the great prayer of Jesus ask us to pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven, Holy be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven.” We want God to be our Father, we want to be like Him and form a life on Earth of people who are like unto His chosen people in heaven. Despite all of this, we fall. We try and we try; we will what is good and virtuous, nevertheless, we fall. All of us are a mixture of weeds and wheat in God’s community here on Earth.

We are given wisdom and intelligence. We are also given free will. Then there is Jesus Christ the son of God, who is our brother, our friend, our helper who shows us the way to holiness and goodness. He lives in our hearts and urges us to be like Him. We are baptised in Him and cleansed. We seek Him and His voice. We rest in Him and sleep in Him.

But there is the devil, the evil one who drove Adam and Eve to sin, who wants us all to sin. He sows in us weeds among the wheat in our heart. He plants weeds among the wheat. “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds.” — Matthew 13: 24-25.

We need to grow in our awareness of good and evil. We need to be taught clearly the difference between good and evil. And then we need to chose good over evil. The choices we make in life between good and evil are what determine whether we become weeds or wheat. God is there on our side, but Satan is also in our hearts, tempting us with falsehood. He covers up what is evil and makes evil seem to be good. He makes selfishness seem sweet and satisfying, whereas sacrifice and service of others, especially the suffering ones, should be our choice in life.

Jesus shows us the way of being true to the divine will of the Father, doing whatever He tells us, responding to His calling and the prompting of His voice in the depths of our hearts, which He makes clear, deep in our inner self. We must follow the ways of Jesus. We must seek Him out and avoid the tempter and pretender.

Remember that Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Take care of your spiritual life and your life with Christ. Read the scriptures daily and meditate upon it. Plant it deep in your own life, live it out in all that you do, in your jobs, in your conversation, in your companionship, and in your family lives.

There will be secular activities and worldly people among you. Sometimes there are evil men like Judas in your community. Sometimes there are those among your friends who deceive you. Do not be discouraged, do not despair, and do not be crushed. Rather, pray for those who deceive you and disappoint you. See the truth and point out the wrongs that are done.

Suffer the cross of being hurt and deceived and move on with prayers. Let the weeds and wheat grow together, and at the end, Jesus will separate them. The weeds will be burned and the wheat will be kept.

In the meanwhile, we will not condemn others. Let that be done by Christ in the final judgement.

Please come and visit with us, we need your help!

We are at 87-91 Hanover Street, Kingston, Jamaica

Phone us at 876-550-8987

We need cash or kind:

Food — Rice, macaroni, noodles

Toiletries – Toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soaps

Diapers — Adult and children

Thank you.

— Father Richard Ho Lung is founder of Missionaries of the Poor.