A man recently told me he was losing patience with the Church. “It’s supposed to be God’s Kingdom on earth,” he said, “but it’s full of contradictions and hypocrisy. Why can’t the Church just be better?” That last word landed with a judgmental thud. It hurt. Because at times the Church can look painfully ordinary, even disappointing.
But Jesus’ parables in today’s Gospel meet that frustration head-on. He says, “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field,” yet the weeds grow up with the wheat, and the master allows both to grow together until harvest. To his listeners, this sounded strange, even offensive. They expected God’s reign to be pure, powerful, and glorious, anything but mixed up, hidden, or small.
Jesus is showing us something essential. The Kingdom always begins small and grows amid imperfection. Grace and weakness exist side by side until the harvest. That is why the Church often looks messy. Yet within that mess, God’s quiet work continues. The weeds do not stop the wheat from growing.
When we see the Church’s flaws or our own, it helps to remember that this is exactly the field in which Christ chose to plant. The miracle is not that everything looks perfect, but that his Word keeps taking root anyway.
Lord, give me patience with Your field, the Church. Help me see Your hidden life growing even among the weeds. Amen.
— Father John Muir
©LPi
General Mass Notes
Welcome
Good afternoon and welcome to St. Joseph,
As we begin our liturgy, we would like to extend a special welcome to everyone visiting our parish for the first time. We also warmly welcome all of you who are here today. We are so grateful and blessed to have you with us. As we settle in and prepare our hearts for Mass, please take a moment to make sure your cell phones are turned off so as not to disturb our prayer.
(Wait a few seconds to allow people to turn off their phones)
Let us now take a moment to prepare for Mass and open our hearts and minds to the message we will hear today. The intentions of this Mass are for all those in our special intention basket and for…
Please stand and greet those beside you.
Mass Intentions
Universal Prayer (Petitions)
A. For the Church, that God’s mercy may act as yeast, mixed in with the flour that is its members, so that the entire batch may be leavened, rising like dough to proclaim the Good News to the world, let us pray to the Lord.
B. For all those who work in the judicial system in this country, that they may work to ensure justice is applied equitably, with kindness and clemency, let us pray to the Lord.
C. For farmers and ranchers and all those who share in producing the food that feeds a hungry world, that they may find reward in the work they do, let us pray to the Lord.
D. For those who are quick to condemn others, that they may exercise patience with what appears to be weeds, who may yet grow and bear fruit, let us pray to the Lord.
E. That we may be like yeast in our workplaces and communities, revealing the kingdom of God by the way we treat each other, let us pray to the Lord.
F. For all the prayers that we hold in the silence of our hearts; for all our intentions spoken and unspoken, and for (read all intentions from 1st page), let us pray to the Lord.
Announcements
Today we have a second collection in support of the annual Peter’s Pence Collection, assisting Pope Leo in his ministry and charitable outreach. Every contribution helps provide aid to those affected by war, disaster, poverty and displacement, while expressing communion with the Holy Father and participation in the Church’s mission.
Dates for religious education enrollment can be found in our Parish bulletin and website.
