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Fr RB Hizon

Fr. Raymund Benedict "RB" Hizon, SJ

<p>Reflecting on today’s Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, I am reminded of a brilliant two-panel political cartoon I first saw during my school days.</p><p>In the first panel, a heavily armed elite class stands over a group of cowering, ragged citizens. The oppressed crowd holds makeshift signs reading: &quot;Down with the oppressors!&quot; and &quot;Up with the oppressed!&quot;</p><div> </div><p>In the second panel, a revolution has occurred. The roles are perfectly reversed. The formerly ragged crowd is now armed, holding their old rulers at gunpoint. But if you look closely at the placards, nothing has actually changed — they have simply swapped signs. The newly empowered mob now holds the signs saying &quot;Up with the oppressors,&quot; while the defeated elites hold the ones saying &quot;Up with the oppressed.&quot;</p><p>This biting caricature exposes a painful truth: so much of what we call &quot;justice&quot; in this world may in fact be nothing more than our pretending to be the righteous wheat, while simply taking turns being the weeds that crowd each other out.</p><div> </div><div><strong>Closer to home</strong></div><p>We see this playing out across our nation this week. The country feels like a giant, polarized courtroom.</p><p>In the Senate, the impeachment trial of the Vice President dominates the headlines with heavy debates over bank subpoenas, while investigators probe chilling online death threats.</p><p>Simultaneously, our communities are reeling from the tragic drowning of Ateneo basketball players Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili, with the NBI recommending criminal charges against the coaching staff.</p><p>Whenever tragedy strikes or scandals break, our default setting is to demand a swift, merciless purge. Like the servants in today&#x27;s Gospel, we look at the messy field of our society, hop on social media, and volunteer for weeding duty: &quot;Do you want us to go and pull them up?&quot; We want to draw a sharp line between &quot;us&quot; and &quot;them,&quot; labeling entire groups as weeds that must be torn out by the roots.</p><p>But then we hear: &quot;No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest.&quot;</p><div> </div><div><strong>On judging ever too quickly</strong></div><p>Why does the Master make them wait? Is God indifferent to corruption, negligence, or the tragic loss of young lives?</p><p>Perhaps not. The Book of Wisdom offers a corrective: &quot;For your might is the source of righteousness; your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all.&quot;</p><p>In all our political systems, power is insecure and reactive. Threatened leaders lash out because they fear losing control. But God displays sovereignty and operates with a deliberate and intentional patience. The Lord’s strength is not a sudden, destructive crackdown but the capacity to endure the messiness of the world while the growth process plays out.</p><p>The Gospel warns that human &quot;weeding&quot; is reckless. In the ancient world, the weed in question — darnel — looks identical to wheat during its early growth, its roots tightly entangled with the good crop. When we attempt to play judge, our vision may well be too narrow. We run the risk of causing massive collateral damage, destroying the good with the bad, and shutting the door on genuine conversion and change.</p><div> </div><div><strong>Patience and active hope</strong></div><p>Are we then advised to be merely passive? Letting the wheat and weeds grow together however does not mean we look away from systemic institutional failures, ignore cyber-bullying, or tolerate criminal negligence.</p><p>Wisdom again lays down a clear rule: &quot;You taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are righteous must be kind.&quot;</p><p>We have a strict civic and moral duty to enforce laws, demand structural accountability, and ensure safety protocols for student-athletes. We have to address unjust systems and actions — the weeds of corruption and institutional failure — head-on.</p><p>But the Gospel draws the line at how we treat the human person. If our pursuit of justice turns vindictive, aiming to entirely erase the humanity of our political opponents or the people involved in a tragedy, we are simply planting a different kind of weed. We become exactly like the characters in that two-panel cartoon, simply taking turns playing the oppressor.</p><p>True righteousness comes with fairness, prudence and restraint. We implement justice in our courts to protect society and every person, but we leave the final, ultimate verdict on a person&#x27;s character and soul to the Master of the Harvest.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Working in weakness</strong></div><p>Living under the weight of national scandal, tragic losses, and digital hostility is exhausting. We look at the complexity of the world, we look at the mixed motives within our own actions, and we realize we do not have all the answers.</p><p>Paul’s letter to the Romans addresses our limits: &quot;In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.&quot;</p><p>Our internal frustration over the brokenness around us is not a dead end. It is the reality of the Holy Spirit working through our humanity, keeping us honest and true. It is not an invitation to give up, but a reminder that we act in active partnership with a heart that is much larger than our hopes. We do our part to build a just society, and we trust God with the coming of the Kingdom.</p><div> </div><div><strong>Looking ahead</strong></div><p>Tomorrow morning, the Senate will resume its caucuses, the legal investigations will proceed, and the online arguments will keep running. As people of faith, we do not simply retreat into comfortable, quiet corners, nor do we loudly join the shouting match.</p><p>True righteousness is the courage to refuse to play the oppressor when the tables are turned. It is the grit to stand in the messy field, to demand structural change and rigorous legal accountability, but to do so without destroying our own humanity or the humanity of our opponents.</p><p>Look closely at the signs you carry in your daily interactions—online and at work. If we only fight to swap the placards of who gets to dominate the field, then we are still just weeds. But if we dare to seek justice with kindness, we somehow break the cycle. We allow the wheat to grow, we make space for grace, and we pave the way for a harvest that may actually heal and satisfy. Amen.</p><div> </div><div><strong>Reflection questions</strong></div><p>1. Where is the line between justice and vengeance? In your group chats or social media feeds, how do you distinguish between demanding real accountability and completely writing a human being off? When does our fight for what is right cross over into a desire to destroy?</p><p>2. Is your strength actually insecurity? If true power is shown through patience and restraint, while insecure power lashes out, how does this change the way you handle conflict? Have you ever mistaken someone else&#x27;s silence for weakness — or your own anger for strength?</p><p>3. How do you handle your own &quot;mixed field&quot;? It is easy to point out the &quot;weeds&quot; in national news or institutional systems, but our own hearts are a tangled mix of good intentions and selfish habits. When the messiness of the world (or your own life) burns you out, how do you step back from the illusion of absolute control and actively cooperate with God&#x27;s grace instead?</p>

<p>Reflecting on today’s Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, I am reminded of a brilliant two-panel political cartoon I first saw during my school days.</p>

Reflecting on today’s Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, I am reminded of a brilliant two-panel political cartoon I first saw during my school days.

A Word on the Word: Rallying the self-righteous

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A Word on the Word: Rallying the self-righteous

Fr. Raymund Benedict "RB" Hizon,

SJ

Published July 19, 2026 07:00 AM PHT

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