“HONEY FROM THE ROCK”
Thursday, 21st July 2016,
Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time
Memorial of St. Lawrence of Brindisi.
Jer 2: 1-3, 7-8, 12-13;
Ps 35: 6-11;
Mt 13: 10-17
THE MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD!
In life, we are always curious, as well as amazed by mystery. Yet when we lose the sense of mystery in religion, then God would become just a concept. In the first reading, we hear the prophet Jeremiah lamenting of such attitude when he said: “The priests have never asked, ‘Where is the Lord?’”. Those who administer the Law have no knowledge of the Lord. The shepherds have rebelled against the Lord; the prophets have prophesied in the name of Baal, following things with no power in them. Yes, God had become just a thing that existed only in the minds of the people but not a reality in their hearts. Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah in the gospel: ‘For the heart of this nation has grown coarse, their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes’. He told his disciples that not everyone would understand parables. Jesus was speaking from experience. He was aware that some who heard his parables refused to understand them. It was not that they could not intellectually understand them, but rather, their hearts were closed to what Jesus was saying. They had already made up their minds to not believe. God can only reveal the secrets of his kingdom to the humble and trusting person who acknowledges the need for God and for his truth. The parables of Jesus will enlighten us if we approach them with an open mind and heart, ready to let them challenge us. God’s word can only take root in a receptive heart that is ready to believe and willing to submit.
Prayer: Lord I welcome You into my heart and mind. Enlighten, challenge and change me. Amen.
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