The answer to this comes from God, “An enemy hath done this.” Hence, when we cry for the rooting out of evildoers to ourselves or to the Church, it would be well to study the remaining verses of this Gospel.
The Epistle also indicates how to conquer the cockle of evil with the good seed of patience , brotherly love, persevering prayer and constant union with Jesus, Who knows “how to keep His family in goodness” (Prayer) through the Sacrifice of the Mass (Secret) and the graces of the Eucharist (Postcommunion). The way to solve the problem of evil in and around you is to “let the word of Christ (that is the good seed) dwell in you abundantly” (Epistle).
The 5th February is Feast of St. Agatha V. M., Patroness of Sicily, who refused to give up her purity to the Procurator of the city of Catania or her executioner in about 250. St. Agatha said, “O Lord Jesus Christ, my well-beloved Master, I than Thee for enabling me to resist the tortures of the executioners. Grant me, Lord, the happiness o attaining to Thy unfailing glory.” More than once, St. Agatha’s veil has been placed in the path of flowing lava which stopped flow and saved the town. St. Agatha’s name is mentioned in the Canon of the Mass, and a slight bow is made by the priest at its mention. Whilst the 1962 rubrics of the Mass exclude commemoration of the Feast in the Sunday Mass, we can commend our prayers to St. Agatha for help to turn back the evil of immorality threatening our country and Europe as well.