“At harvest time I will say to the harvesters, ‘First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn."'"
- Matthew

During St. Augustine’s scandalous youth, his mother, St. Monica, prayed constantly for his conversion. Finally, the “good seeds” she had sowed bore fruit as her son not only converted but became a great saint.

This reflection is for the “St. Monicas” (both men and women) who, like her, are praying that the “good seeds” they planted will choke out the weeds of sin and self- destructive behavior that have taken over their children’s lives.  

Today’s parable offers hope that your child will harvest those good seeds. In the meantime, like the farmer in today’s gospel, wait patiently for that harvest. Remember that people, including our children, are the only ones who can decide when and how to separate their “wheat” from their “weeds.”

Like most parents, I’ve experienced this anxiety and know that you never stop worrying.  Keep loving your child and keep praying. It’s likely that if you hadn’t planted those seeds, things could be much worse.

As a teacher, I worked with some remarkable students who turned their lives around in large part because of the good seeds their parents had planted years ago. I’m thinking about a marvelous woman who has become a substance abuse counselor. She was date raped while she was intoxicated and blamed herself for it.  Now she helps others. 

I’ll never forget the day that a young man who had dropped out of school after landing in jail for drunk driving came to ask if we would take him back now that he was sober, We were delighted to nurture him through his last semester.  Never have I been to a more joyous graduation party!

I’m no Pollyanna. Not all stories ended as happily as these two but I saw enough that did to offer you hope that your family’s harvest time will come.

You are part of a legion of loving people who desperately want their children to be safe and well. My prayers are with you.