PRAYER: “SHOW FAVOUR, O LORD, TO YOUR SERVANTS AND MERCIFULLY INCREASE THE GIFTS OF YOUR GRACE, THAT, MADE FERVENT IN HOPE, FAITH AND CHARITY, THEY MAY BE EVER WATCHFUL IN KEEPING YOUR COMMANDS. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Jer 2:1-3,7-8,12-13; Ps 35:6-11 and Mt 13:10-17
The Lord, in the portion of the Book of Jeremiah, directs the Prophet to rebuke or warn Judah for forsaking him. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus explains to his disciples that the people cannot understand the illustrations in his parables because they have not been granted the necessary knowledge. They have not been granted that knowledge because, to understand spiritual truths and spiritual things, illustrated in the parables, there is a need for some deeper listening and reflection on the word of God. Indeed, those whose hearts sincerely seek and are receptive to spiritual truths will understand the parables Jesus uses and their illustrations, but those whose hearts do not sincerely seek and are not receptive to spiritual truths, probably due to hardness of hearts, will not understand the illustrations in Jesus’ parables.
It is not easy for a stubbornly hardened heart to be touched or influenced (to be softened) by the word of God. It is only when the person makes conscious and deliberate efforts or strides to be so. Pride or arrogance, of course, is a root cause of hardened hearts. In pride, one easily becomes stubborn to the extent that when he/she makes mistakes, he/she is not ready and willing to humbly accept the mistakes and be forgiven. In most cases, the sense of sin is dead in the minds and hearts of stubborn and hardened-hearted people. That is why God may rebuke them either directly through their worried and disturbed consciences, together with some punishments because of their sinful deeds, or indirectly through other people as they reprimand or rebuke them for their wrong deeds, yet they may not repent and change. What type of heart do I have? Do I sincerely seek spiritual truths? Is my heart receptive to spiritual truths? Let us pray for God’s grace to have hearts that sincerely seek and are receptive to God’s word and the spiritual truths it always reveals to us. Lord Jesus, if my heart is hard, soften it, I beg you! May Saint Lawrence of Brindisi intercede for us. May Saint Bridget intercede for us. Stay blessed and happy feast to all who bear the name Bridget.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, THURSDAY, ON THE MYSTERIES OF LIGHT: ‘THE BAPTISM OF JESUS, THE WEDDING AT CANA, THE PROCLAMATION OF THE KINGDOM, THE TRANSFIGURATION, AND THE INSTITUTION OF THE EUCHARIST’. (WE PRAY FOR OPENNESS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, PRAY TO JESUS THROUGH MARY, FOR REPENTANCE AND TRUST IN GOD, THE DESIRE FOR HOLINESS, AND WE PRAY FOR THE SPIRIT OF ADORATION) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “GRACIOUSLY BE PRESENT TO YOUR PEOPLE, WE PRAY, O LORD, AND LEAD THOSE YOU HAVE IMBUED WITH HEAVENLY MYSTERIES TO PASS FROM FORMER WAYS TO NEWNESS OF LIFE. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN.”
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com.
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