Deacon Neil’s homily at Mass on the Seventh Sunday after Trinity (19 July)

In a world that expects instant results, patience can seem in short supply. Whether it’s waiting for a webpage to load or dealing with life’s everyday frustrations, we are often tempted to ask why things can’t simply be put right immediately.

Growing up in Stratford-upon-Avon, I was never far from the words of William Shakespeare. In Othello, he writes: “How poor are they that have not patience. What wound did ever heal but by degrees?” Healing, growth, and lasting change rarely happen overnight. They unfold gradually, and so does God’s work in our lives.

This Sunday’s readings reveal a God whose power is expressed not through force, but through mercy, patience, and goodness. Rather than removing every evil instantly, God patiently nurtures what is good, allowing time for hearts to change and lives to be transformed.

Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the weeds reminds us that rushing to judge or condemn can often damage the very good God is trying to grow. His patience is not a weakness but wisdom. As history shows through saints such as St Paul and St Augustine, those who once seemed far from God can become remarkable witnesses to His grace.

The Kingdom of God grows quietly, like a mustard seed becoming a great tree or yeast working unseen through dough. Every act of kindness, forgiveness, encouragement, and faith contributes to that hidden growth.

The same is true in our own lives. When we struggle, when prayer seems difficult, St Paul reminds us that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, gently shaping us into the people God calls us to be.

Each time we gather for the Eucharist, ordinary bread and wine become the living presence of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Nourished by this heavenly gift, we receive the grace to live with greater patience, kindness, and hope.

Let us ask God this week to help us spend less time pulling up the weeds in others and more time allowing His goodness to flourish within our own hearts.

This Sunday’s readings are available in the pew sheet: