Hope For Weeds

Ne forte colligentes zizania, eradicetis simul cum eis et triticum.  Sic imperiti erant cultores, sic operis nescii, sic discretionis scientiam non habentes, ut evellentes zizania, eradicarent et triticum? Ubi sunt prophetae per Dei spiritum prophetantes? Ubi Petrus cui Pater revelat? Ubi Paulus in quo operatur et loquitur Christus? Ubi omnes sancti, plane sancti, sed servi, tantum scientes, quantum singulis scientiarum largitor indulsit? Sed dicis, Hoc occultuum nil erat, nil erat ibi occultum, quando aliud videbatur in specie; aliud habebatur in flore; et quod hodie erat ziania, cras in triticum vertebatur: sic hodie habetur haereticus, qui crastina fit fidelis; et qui ad praesens peccator cernitur, ad furturm justus assistit. Hinc est etiam quod auctor utraque referebat ad messem, id est, usque ad judicium divinae patientiae sua et nostrae poenitentiae tempus, ut qui de se malo commutarit ad bonum, Dominicum deputetur in triticum, coelestibus horreis aggregandusl qui se de fideli fecerit infidelem, gehennae deputetur incendio. Et quid plura? Si zizaniis non Dei paetinetia subveniret, nec Matthaeum de Publicano evangelistam, nec Paulum de persecutore apostolum Ecclesia possideret. Denique Ananias eradicare tritcum tunc quaerebat, quando ad Sauleum missus, de Paulo talia querebatur: Domine, quanta mala fecit sanctis tuis, hic est, eradica zizania; quid ad lupum ovis? quid ad contumacem devotus? quid ad persecutorem talis praedictor missus? Sed cum Ananias videret Saulum, Paulum Dominus tunc videbat; cum Ananias persecutorem diceret, tunc Dominus praedictorem sciebat; et cum ille eum zizania judicaret inferni, Christus eum vas electionis, triticum in coelesti horreo jam ponebat. Sanctus Petrus Chrysologus, Sermo XCVII, De Parbola Zizaniorum Source: Migne PL 52.473c-474b

Lest perhaps when collecting the weeds you tear up the wheat with them. 1 Were the workers in the field so unskilled, so ignorant of their work, so lacking in the knowledge of distinguishing things that when plucking up the weeds they would uproot the wheat? Where are the prophets through the spirit of God prophesying? Where is Peter to whom the Father granted revelation? Where is Paul in whom Christ worked and spoke? Where are all the saints, saints but servants, only wise because He who gives granted them wisdom? But, you say, nothing was hidden, nothing there was hidden, since something appeared, another thing was found in the flower. What today is a weed may be turned into wheat tomorrow. So today a man may be a heretic who tomorrow will be made faithful, and he who is presently noted as a sinner in the future may stand as one of the righteous. So when the author refers to the harvest, it is that which is within the judgement of the Divine patience and the time of our repentance, that he who is evil may change to good, the Lord harvesting him as wheat and adding him to the celestial granary, and he who from faith made himself unfaithful will be pruned for the fire of hell. And what more? If there was no patience of God for the weeds, neither Matthew the tax collector would have become an Evangelist, nor would Paul the persecutor of the Church have become an Apostle. Ananias sought to pull up the wheat when being sent to Saul, for he complained, 'Lord, he does much evil to your holy ones!' 2 That is, Tear up the weeds!. Why indeed send a sheep to a wolf? Why send the devout to the proud? Why send such a preacher to a persecutor? But when Ananias saw Saul, The Lord saw Paul, when Ananias spoke of a persecutor, then the Lord knew a preacher, and when Ananias judged him to be a weed fit for the infernal fire, Christ marked him as a vessel of election, wheat to be placed in the heavenly granary. Saint Peter Chrysologus, from Sermon 97, On The Parable of the Wheat And Tares 1 Mt 13.19 2 Acts 9.10-17