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The Christmas Cycle
In spite of the cockle sown by the enemy, it is evident that the Lord has sown good seed in
His Church. She possesses, in the first place, divine truth; she has the sacraments, especially
the Blessed Eucharist, and an impressive list of saints both in heaven and on earth. In spite of
all these spiritual treasures, there is also much evil. The history of the Church records many
grave scandals among its members, many great schisms and heresies, and grave moral guilt
on the part of its children. Even the religious houses record the sad story of the appearance
of the cockle which the devil has sown among the wheat of the Lord. Many religious soon
allow their fervor to grow cold; many of them are fainthearted and timorous; very often
they fail in charity, or even desert the religious life altogether. Lord, how is this possible in
Thy Church? Dost Thou not behold the cockle that the enemy hath sown in Thy field? But
the Lord replies: “Suffer both to grow.”
It seems as if the presence of cockle is part of the plan of divine providence. In any
event, the divinity of the Church appears more clearly when we understand how much
evil she has managed to survive. An institution so human and so weak could hardly have
survived so long had it not been sustained by a divine element. If we had been founding
a Church, we should have undoubtedly striven vigorously to exterminate the cockle from
the beginning. Like the Sons of Thunder, James and John, we should have called down
lightning from heaven to destroy everything that was not to our liking. “Lord, wilt Thou that
we command fire to come down from heaven to consume them?” (Lk 9:54.) There have
been many reformers in the Church who had this spirit. Montanus and Tertullian longed
for such a Church, a Church of the elite, a Church of “pure ones,” a Church composed only
of those who were wise and holy and free from all blemish. Such is the spirit of men, but it
is not the spirit of God.
Those who would have a perfect Church, fail to consider our defective human nature.
Christ deals with frail and sinful man. Knowing man’s need of redemption, Christ came
as the adequate Redeemer. He established a Church which provides us with the means of
sanctification no matter what our individual weakness may be. Even though many of those
who find their way into the Church are cockle in the wheat, it is the way of God to let both
grow until the time of the harvest.
O God, almighty King, how marvelous Thou art in spite of the cockle that grows in Thy field!
“Adore God, all you His angels” (Introit). O Lord, the cockle in Thy Church is widespread;
yet it is Thy Church. Give enlightenment to our minds that we may see Thy divine hand in
the growth of the cockle. Thy hand is in all things that are: “The right hand of the Lord hath
wrought strength” (Offertory).
O great and holy Church, how marvelous thou art in spite of all the evil that is allowed
to grow in thee! In obedience to the command of thy divine founder, thou dost embrace
all men, whatever their weaknesses, that they may be saved. Thou dost undergo a continual
martyrdom at the hands of thy unworthy children. “I came not to call the just, but sinners
to penance” (Lk 5:32).
Prayer
O Lord, have mercy and forgive us our sins, and direct our wayward hearts. Through Christ
our Lord. Amen.
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