Reflection for THURSDAY, 16th Week, Ordinary Time.

By

 

Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Rector and Parish Priest, Bidar

Today's Gospel Verses 

Matthew 13:10-17    

The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” 

He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: 

“Though seeing, they do not see;

though hearing, they do not hear or understand 

 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: 


 “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

For this people’s heart has become calloused;

 they hardly hear with their ears,

 and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears, 

understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.’* 

 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. 

Today's Reflection 

In the Bible, God speaks in the written word.

What we read in the Bible is usually quite clear to us.

And even if there are some difficult passages, there are commentaries to explain the context and the message.

In the 1st reading, the meaning is clear and direct.

God, through the prophet Jeremiah, was reprimanding His people for being unfaithful to Him.

And God was sharp with His words as He says, “My people have committed a double crime: they have abandoned me, the fountain of living water, only to dig cisterns for themselves, leaky cisterns that hold no water.”

However in the gospel, the disciples asked Jesus why was it that He spoke to the people in parables.

Parables are also another way in which God speaks to us, and it is for us to think about what God is saying to us.

Parables have an indirect message for us and it is for us to apply the message of the parables to our lives.

May we see with our eyes, hear with our ears, understand with our hearts and be converted and be healed by God.

Then we will realize that God is near and speaking to us, and that He wants us to know that He loves us.

GOD BLESS YOU

Good morning. Have a nice day.