Monsignor Enrique Díaz Díaz shares with Exaudi readers his reflection on the  Gospel of this Sunday, July 19, 2026,   entitled:  “Let them grow together until the harvest time  . ”

***

Wisdom 12, 13.16-19:  “You give the sinner time to repent”

Psalm 85:  “You, Lord, are good and merciful”

Romans 8:26-27:  “The Spirit intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.”

Matthew 13:24-43:  “Let them grow together until the harvest time”

History repeats itself, and today the same thing is happening as in Jesus’ time: the world is divided into good and bad, and of course, we always side with the good. Others are condemned, they are targeted for destruction, they are regarded with suspicion. The Pharisees and scribes, rather than seeking signs of hope, seem intent on judging, on pointing out the flaws in others, and on declaring impurities. The parables of the Kingdom that Jesus tells us today offer a treasure of humanity and mercy that the Old Testament didn’t even dare to dream of. Goodness and righteousness were always linked to progress and wealth, but now Jesus opens a new horizon, and with his parables, he gives a sharp turn to all this theology: one cannot condemn without the risk of killing the shoots of life; human time is not God’s time. Faced with the impatience of those who cannot see good and evil, there is the merciful patience of a “master” who waits until the end to discover the inner self of man. The Kingdom of God makes itself present in the ambiguity of history, which must mature, bear fruit, and wait until the final moment. The easy, and even biased, approach of dividing people into good and bad is not only false, but it also distorts the values ​​of the Kingdom and destroys people.

How many times have we witnessed justice condemning the innocent? I remember a poor drunkard whose funeral Mass was denied because he had supposedly committed suicide, only to discover months later that he had been murdered. How can we judge the heart of our brother and condemn him? It is true that evil exists, and we see it every day, but it is also true that it is not our place to judge, and that with our shortsightedness we err far too often. Weeds have become synonymous with wickedness, division, and backstabbing, yet the Good and Merciful God continues to await a loving response from those whom everyone condemns. The disciple of Jesus, far from becoming a judge, must learn from the silent growth of the wheat that must ripen alongside others and not only that, but be enriched by their presence. Jesus teaches us to enter into dialogue with our neighbors, with their real problems and concerns, without trying to impose our supposed superiority or our own superior criteria. The Kingdom of Heaven requires patience, not hastening processes

But alongside the acceptance of genuine coexistence with others, today a strong dose of hope, perseverance, and faith is required of the disciple. Too often, we are overcome by negative attitudes due to the meager results obtained despite immense efforts. We see it in the little progress we have made in justice, in the search for truth, in education, and even in our own personal growth. Discovering evil in those close to us is deeply painful, but being aware of our own failures, realizing that there is also weeds in our own hearts, can lead to discouragement and pessimism. Today, Jesus teaches us that the Kingdom is built from small actions, that the small things are the important ones in its process, and that what is loudest is not always what matters most. Jesus himself was labeled nefarious and ineffective, simply because he came from a small place from which nothing good could supposedly come. Yet he was wheat sown generously in the furrow, buried and shrouded in darkness, awaiting the resurrection, and in the anonymity of silence, bringing forth life. The disciple must convert to Jesus, but to the simple, poor Jesus, the Jesus of Nazareth. Only in the life of Jesus can we understand how to build the Kingdom, for from obscure Nazareth, from humble beginnings, Jesus made his way of life and taught us that great works are built from small beginnings and with small people, with silence, perseverance, and great hope. Today, we also see shoots of hope in many places and in people who seem unknown. Let us not extinguish that spark that is igniting, let us not despise those small efforts, let us not kill hope. Building the Kingdom requires patience and great faith.

But let us not think that Jesus’ parables, which invite us to look at the small things and place our hope in the hand of God that gives growth, should lead us to passivity. On the contrary, the parables make the responsible action of the individual very clear:  “The mustard seed that a man sows in a garden,” “a little mustard that a woman took and mixed .” The Kingdom of God needs, for its realization, the work and committed action of men and women. Our lives, our commitment, our attitudes, which may seem insignificant, make the realization of the Kingdom possible. The yeast is very small, but it must be present; otherwise, there will be no leavening in the dough. It will have to dissolve, “be lost” in the whole mass. And we, who prefer to be seen, to stand out, to receive recognition, and to do little. We need to let God act, for He works within the dough, in the heart of history, and not on the margins of human and social realities. If the yeast is not mixed and introduced into the realities of each day, into the heart of our world, this society will not ferment and will remain not a Kingdom.

Today we reflect on several parables, and each one leaves an echo in our hearts that should resonate and prompt us to question: Am I a seed of the Kingdom? Do I accept, live with, and share with other seeds, or do I despise, judge, and condemn them? Do I have patience and perseverance in the proposals of the Kingdom?

God the Father, good Father, look upon us  with love and multiply within us the gifts of your grace so that we may learn to grow together with our brothers and sisters, in humility, in silence, and in hope. Amen.