16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

An Inclusive Church
Matthew is very concerned in his Gospel with the unity of the Christian commu-
nity. He does not envision the Church as an exclusionary organization, but rather as
an inclusive community which is guided by the spirit of the parable of the weeds

Let them grow together until harvest: since its earliest days, the Church has preferred to
tolerate different levels of commitment and holiness. Such an attitude is in line
with the ‘wisdom’ of the Hebrew Scriptures, which informs us that those who are just
must be kind and your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all and you judge with clem-
ency.

This attitude of acceptance is also in line with the revelation of God as merciful and
gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness.

An inclusive Church that is kind and lenient toward its own members and toward
everyone else should be an inspiration to a divided world that has a tendency to
judge harshly, to be quick to anger, and to uproot weeds even at the cost of dam-
age to the good plants.
Gerald Darring

“By virtue of her mission to shed on the whole

world the radiance of the gospel message, and
to unify under one Spirit all men of whatever
nation, race, or culture, the Church stands forth
as a sign of that brotherliness which allows hon-
est dialogue and invigorates it.

Such a mission requires in the first place that we

foster within the Church herself mutual esteem,
reverence, and harmony, through the full recog-
nition of lawful diversity.”
Vatican II, Constitution on the Church
in the Modern World (1965) 92
July 20, 2008
Some καιρός / kairos thoughts…
καιρός / kairos—Greek—time—viewed as an occasion rather than an extent

If Christ
is
our earth
who
can uproot
us
what wind
could Prayer List
transplant Pray the rosary for world peace, Avis Cox, Fr. Clarence Biggers, Gladys and
Ben Kramkowski, Rita Moenk, Doug Bearden, Sarah Snider, Thornton/
Lynch family, Ryan Amsberry, Annie & family, Connie, her mother & family,
us Blake, Erik, Campbell family, Jonathan & family, Sharon & family, Will,
FMS, Cap. Corp., Patrick & Brittany, Broughman family, Fannie Crowder &
only heads family, VAL, Father Ingram’s father & family, Karen’s mother, Cheryl
Mobley & family, William Hudson, Robert, Walter, Danielle, Christopher,
Barbara, Katherine, Nicholas, Kaylin, Kasie, Mary Beth & family, Mary Ann
of Mahoney & family, Donna & family, Ann Chancellor & family, Sheila &
family, cancer patients & families, military & families, Brandon, Plantation
trees are Villa residents, Don, Mrs. Carpenter, Mr. & Mrs. Rooks, Katherine & family,
Mr. Dunn, Mr. & Mrs. Barlow, Jane & family, Scott & family, Diane & Peter,
Michele & Gary, Lucy’s father & family, Bobbie, Joan & family, Karl’s
storm mother & family, June & family, Tina & family, Belinda & family, OLM
family, Kat, Delgratia & family, Mr. Gomez & family, Sara’s mother, Dr.
tossed hope Lynch & family, Rob/Allie & family, Chuck & family, Frank & family, Liesa
& family, mother of Dr. Petros, Dr. Issa & family, Odessa, Anita’s mother &
family, Ruby, Ruby’s mother & family, Davies family, Katie & family, family
lies of Angie, Ann & family, Gretchen & family, Eileen, Scott & family, Robert,
Flavia & family, Tony’s family, Roy & Martha Wright, Roy, Alice Swygert,
in roots Alan, Nard, Tony, Glenda, Nelson, J. Bob, Munn, Vogt, Wolfe families,
Russell & family, Ola, Gene Wilson & family, Jane Brock & family, Janet
Kramer & family, Elayne & family, Winnie, Phil & family, Tony, Stan, Emily
& family, Ruthie & Ed, Mr. Bergin & family, Russell & family, Mrs.
Sanseverino & family, CC Center, veterans & families Jessie Emmett, Mark,
in embrace Michael’s mother, Carrie, VAMC, Rambo’s mother & family, Josephine
Mary, Mary Anna, S. Paul, Tony, J. W. Wilson & family, Jason & Kim, Josie,
Kelly, Mickey’s family, Jon & Janet Cook & family, Karen’s cousin, Mike
Aguado & family, Carl & family, Dr. Lopez & family, Dr. Vanapalli & family,
anda Poem from liturgy.slu.edu Dr. Nair & family, Garrett & family, family of Duffie, Aaron Christian,
Marina & family, Mitchell’s father & family, Estella’s mother & family,
Kerry’s mother & family, Gail & family, Beth & family, Bernard, Anna &
Today’s parables show how the good family, Sara Lucas & family, Mary Gilliam & family, Michael & family, Berger
family, Mendez family, Ikai family, Joshua Moser, Stephanie Christian,
Carolyn Williamson, Patricia Finch, Kathy Weaver, Heidi FitzGerald, Ed
news changes and enlarges all it Schaffer, Lynn Smith, Russ family, Tena Greene, Willie Ryans, Jan Mastin,
Beverly Barrett, Justine McGuire, Chris B., Joyce Jones, Carlo Dellaquila,
touches. We respond to the revealing Katherine Catti, Stephanie & Mark Fletcher, Michael & Joanna Spataro,
Justino Prado, Maria Beck, Anna & Henry, Heidi B., Leonard & Mary, Paul ,
of things hidden with awe, prayer, faith Wil Landry, Connie Graham, Elaine Cole, Elysa Cole-Ali, Eric Hawthorne,
Anthony Morgan, Marie McDemmond, Shirley Walton, Michelle Carroll,
and action. When awe tongue-ties us, Sean & Erin McHugh, Doris Bishop, Mary Platt, Debbie McCloud, Joey
Milani, Robert S. & family, Louis Talbot, Mrs. Bass, Mr. Duffy, Chad
the Holy Spirit speaks for us and in us, Nostrant, Dames family, Peggy Cable, Claude Rickman, Z.C., Mamie Siniard,
Kathleen Michalek, Amy & family, Julian Campbell, Maureen Lennon, Kevin
leading our witness and actions toward Diehl, Randy Taylor, Brian Strickland, Jerry Leatherwood, Caron, Ken, &
Anais Pierre, Rick Long, Paul B., Gloria/Olisa Chukwuma, Anderson family,
the light of the kingdom of the Father. Frank, Chris Stahler family, Mary Jo Shamas, Frances Homsey, Gus
Kneidinger, Barbara Z., Eze family, Jimbo Borchert, Richey Grude, Cotton
Listen, anyone who has ears to hear! Elphingstone, Fran Howarth, Dorene Trumble, Danielle Vincent, Mary
Ondovchik, Ann Rudy, Robert Head, Ximena Todd, Phil Lee
Philip J. Sandstrom, S.T.D. © 2001 Oregon Catholic Press. All rights reserved.