9781644135945

The Light of the World
favors. He nourishes this field with the dew of grace, and lets the light of His love shine upon it.
Lord, “didst Thou not sow good seed in Thy field? Whence, then, hath it cockle?” Do we not
find much cockle in our souls? Whence the corrupt thoughts and desires, the perverted weaknesses
that are continually drawing us toward sin? We see our souls choked with pride, self-love,
conceit, laziness, and a petty human respect. Lord, “didst Thou not sow good seed in Thy field?”
“Wilt thou that we go and gather it up?” No, “suffer both to grow until the harvest.”
God’s way is to let the cockle grow until the time of the harvest. We would not have it so.
We in our impatience would be at once rid of everything that humiliates us or troubles us.
Men naturally are reluctant to admit their failures and would free themselves from their
inclination toward evil. They would have their souls be a good field with only good seed
and without cockle. But that is an idle dream. Many men would like to picture themselves
in this way, but the ways of men are not the ways of God. “Suffer both to grow” does not
mean, however, that we should allow the evil we see in ourselves to grow unopposed. We
must continually struggle against it and continue until the hour of our death to beg our
Lord to “deliver us from all evil.” Indeed, we need His help if we are to be delivered, for we
are truly a field with much cockle among the wheat.
“It is good for me that Thou hast humbled me” (Ps 118:71). Why is the cockle allowed to grow in
our souls? Virtue is perfected in infirmity. Our weaknesses keep us at all times conscious of our
unworthiness and make us understand how sinful we really are. When we learn what manner
of men we are, we say in truth and sincerity, Domine non sum dignus: “Lord I am not worthy.”
Have mercy on me, O Lord, according to Thy great mercy.
“Suffer both to grow.” The good seed finds nourishment and room to grow even among the
cockle. When we see evil about us, we also appreciate more the virtue that we find in us. Living
as we do in the midst of evil, we see the need of prayer; we flee to Him who alone can protect us
and help us. The battle against evil is an exercise of virtue and an occasion for spiritual progress.
Sooner or later the day of the harvest will be at hand. Then only the good wheat will be
allowed to remain in the sight of God. How thankful and grateful we shall be that we have managed,
with the help of grace, to overcome the evil cockle with which we were obliged to struggle!
Then we shall perceive how wonderful was the providence of God, and we shall exclaim, “O
the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How incomprehensible
are His judgements, and how unsearchable His ways!” (Rom 11:33.) How wonderful is the
manifestation of the power of the divine King in the souls of the redeemed!
Prayer
O Lord, we beg Thee in Thy never-failing goodness to guard Thy family, and since it depends
entirely on the hope of Thy heavenly grace, defend it always by Thy protection. Through Christ
our Lord. Amen.
Tuesday
“Suffer both to grow” (Gospel). However mysterious it may seem to us, it is universally true that
there is cockle among the wheat. This fact is true of the Church as a whole and of all its parts. Every
diocese, every parish, every religious institution has its spiritual cockle. “Suffer both to grow.”
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