Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 399
Lectionary: 399
Return, rebellious children, says
the LORD,
for I am your Master;
I will take you, one from a city, two from a clan,
and bring you to Zion.
I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart,
who will shepherd you wisely and prudently.
When you multiply and become fruitful in the land,
says the LORD,
They will in those days no longer say,
“The ark of the covenant of the LORD!”
They will no longer think of it, or remember it,
or miss it, or make another.
for I am your Master;
I will take you, one from a city, two from a clan,
and bring you to Zion.
I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart,
who will shepherd you wisely and prudently.
When you multiply and become fruitful in the land,
says the LORD,
They will in those days no longer say,
“The ark of the covenant of the LORD!”
They will no longer think of it, or remember it,
or miss it, or make another.
At that time they will call
Jerusalem the LORD’s throne;
there all nations will be gathered together
to honor the name of the LORD at Jerusalem,
and they will walk no longer in their hardhearted wickedness.
there all nations will be gathered together
to honor the name of the LORD at Jerusalem,
and they will walk no longer in their hardhearted wickedness.
Responsorial
PsalmJER 31:10, 11-12ABCD, 13
R. (see 10d) The Lord will guard us
as a shepherd guards his flock.
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd his flock.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD’s blessings:
The grain, the wine, and the oil,
the sheep and the oxen.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd his flock.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD’s blessings:
The grain, the wine, and the oil,
the sheep and the oxen.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
AlleluiaSEE LK 8:15
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 13:18-23
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Hear the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom
without understanding it,
and the Evil One comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”
“Hear the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom
without understanding it,
and the Evil One comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”
Meditation: Whoever
Hears the Word and Understands It
How
good are you at listening, especially for the word of God? God is ever ready to
speak to each of us and to give us understanding of his word. This parable of
Jesus is a warning to those who hear and who preach the word of God. What makes
us ineffective and unresponsive to God's word? Preoccupation with other things
can distract us from what is truly important and worthwhile. And letting our
hearts and minds be consumed with material things can easily weigh us down and
draw us away from the treasure that lasts for eternity.
Allowing God's word to take root in our heart
God's word can only take root in a receptive heart which is docile and ready to hear what God has to say. One lesson is clear: the harvest is sure.While some seed will fall by the wayside and some fall on shallow ground and never come to maturity, and some be choked to death by the thorns; nonetheless a harvest will come. The seed that falls on good soil, on the heart that is receptive, will reap abundant fruit. Are you teachable and eager to learn God's truth? And do you allow anything to keep you from submitting to God's word with joy and trusting obedience?
Allowing God's word to take root in our heart
God's word can only take root in a receptive heart which is docile and ready to hear what God has to say. One lesson is clear: the harvest is sure.While some seed will fall by the wayside and some fall on shallow ground and never come to maturity, and some be choked to death by the thorns; nonetheless a harvest will come. The seed that falls on good soil, on the heart that is receptive, will reap abundant fruit. Are you teachable and eager to learn God's truth? And do you allow anything to keep you from submitting to God's word with joy and trusting obedience?
Lord
Jesus, help me to guard the word you have planted in my heart that no doubt or
temptation may keep me from believing and obeying you. May I be fruitful in
your service and may I never fear to speak of you to others and to share with
them the good news of the Gospel.
Daily
Quote from the Early Church Fathers: God's word is like good seed sown in
the heart, by Jerome (347-420 AD)
"'And
the one sown upon good ground is he who hears the word, understands it and
bears fruit.' Even as on bad ground there were three diverse situations (by the
path, upon rocky ground and among thorns), so too on good ground the diversity
is of three types: fruit of one hundredfold, sixtyfold and thirtyfold. Both in
one and the other there is a change that takes place in the will, not in the
nature itself. In both the unbelievers and believers it is the heart that
receives the seed. 'The wicked one comes,' he says, 'and snatches away what has
been sown in his heart.' In the second and third cases, he says, 'That is he
who hears the word.' In the explanation of the good ground, he is the one who
hears the word. First we must listen, then understand; after understanding, we
must bear the fruits of good teaching and yield fruit either one hundredfold,
sixtyfold or thirtyfold." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW
2.13.23)
FRIDAY, JULY 24, MATTHEW 13:18-23
Weekday
(Exodus 20:1-17; Psalm 19)
Weekday
(Exodus 20:1-17; Psalm 19)
KEY VERSE: "But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it" (v. 23).
TO KNOW: Jesus explained the parable of the sower to his disciples. The different types of soil in the parable depicted various responses to the proclamation of God's reign. The seed, the Word of God, sown on the pathway represented those who heard the message, but never accepted it in their hearts, and the evil one robbed them of what was sown. The seed sown on rocky ground were those who heard the word with enthusiasm, but quickly fell away when persecution or trials occurred. The seed sown among thorns were those who believed for a while, but the lure of riches and worldly concerns choked out the life of faith. The seed that was sown on fertile soil were those who heard and responded to the message with faith. Their lives would yield abundant fruit.
TO LOVE: What seeds of faith have I planted in the hearts of others?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, prepare my heart so that your words will take root and grow.
Optional Memorial of Saint Sharbel Makhlūf, priest
Joseph Zaroun Makhlūf, was born in Northern Lebanon and raised by an uncle who opposed the boy's youthful piety. At age 23 Joseph snuck away to join the Baladite monastery of Saint Maron at Annaya where he took the name Sharbel in memory of a 2nd century martyr. He became a hermit from 1875 until his death 23 years later. He gained a reputation for holiness, and was sought after for counseling. Sharbel had a great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, and was known to levitate during his prayers. He was briefly paralyzed for unknown reasons just before his death. There were several post-mortem miracles attributed to him, including periods in 1927 and 1950 when a bloody "sweat" flowed from his corpse. His tomb has become a place of pilgrimage for Lebanese and non-Lebanese, Christian and non-Christian alike. He was canonized 9 October 1977 by Pope Paul VI.
Friday 24 July 2020
St Sarbel Makhlüf
Jeremiah 3:14-17. The Lord will guard us, like a shepherd
guarding his flock – Jeremiah 31:10-13. Matthew 13:18-23.
‘Jesus explains to the disciples his parable’
Everything that happens in our life is a kind of parable that
tells of God’s presence to and his will for each of us. Understanding comes not
from ourselves or from the noisy intervention of others, but rather from the
Word speaking alone with us in the solitude of our attentive heart. We need to
seek solitude of heart if we desire to be a disciple of Christ.
This solitude is found in a resolute detachment of the heart
from earthly things and the freeing of the heart is achieved and measured by
dying to self and to self-will. There we find the rich soil in which we can
hear the word and understand it.
Saint Sharbel Makhlouf
Saint of the Day for July 24
(May 8, 1828 – December 24, 1898 )
 |
Saint Sharbel Makhlouf’s Story
Although this saint never traveled far from the Lebanese village
of Beka-Kafra where he was born, his influence has spread widely.
Joseph Zaroun Maklouf was raised by an uncle because his father,
a mule driver, died when Joseph was only three. At the age of 23, Joseph joined
the Monastery of St. Maron at Annaya, Lebanon, and took the name Sharbel in
honor of a second-century martyr. He professed his final vows in 1853, and was
ordained six years later.
Following the example of the fifth-century Saint Maron,
Sharbel lived as a hermit from 1875, until his death. His reputation for
holiness prompted people to seek him to receive a blessing and to be remembered
in his prayers. He followed a strict fast and was very devoted to the Blessed
Sacrament. When his superiors occasionally asked him to administer the
sacraments to nearby villages, Sharbel did so gladly.
He died in the late afternoon on Christmas Eve. Christians and
non-Christians soon made his tomb a place of pilgrimage and of cures. Pope
Paul VI beatified Sharbel in 1965, and canonized him 12 years later.
Reflection
John Paul II often said that the Church has two lungs—East and
West—and it must learn to breathe using both of them. Remembering saints like
Sharbel helps the Church to appreciate both the diversity and unity present in
the Catholic Church. Like all the saints, Sharbel points us to God and invites
us to cooperate generously with God’s grace, no matter what our situation in
life may be. As our prayer life becomes deeper and more honest, we become more
ready to make that generous response.
Lectio: Matthew 13:18-23
Lectio Divina
Friday, July 24, 2020
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord,
be merciful to Your people.
Fill us with Your gifts
and make us always eager to serve You
in faith, hope and love.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
be merciful to Your people.
Fill us with Your gifts
and make us always eager to serve You
in faith, hope and love.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 13:18-23
Jesus said to his disciples: "Hear the parable of the
sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom
without understanding it, and the Evil One comes and steals away what was sown
in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and
receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately
falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then
worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands
it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirty fold."
3) Reflection
• Context. Beginning with chapter 12, on the one side we see
there is opposition among the religious leaders of Israel, the scribes and the
Pharisees; on the other side, within the crowds who listen to Jesus and are
amazed because of His marvelous actions, gradually, little by little, a group
of disciples is being formed, with uncertain features, but who follow Jesus
with perseverance. To twelve of these disciples Jesus has given the gift of His
authority and His power. He has sent them as messengers of the Kingdom, giving
them demanding and radical instructions (10:5-39). Now at the moment when
controversy breaks out with His opponents, Jesus recognizes His true kinship,
not in the lines of the flesh (mother, brothers), but in those who follow Him,
listen to Him, and fulfill the will of the Father (12:46-50). This last account
offers us the possibility to imagine that the audience to whom Jesus addressed
His words is two-fold: on the one side, the disciples to whom He has given to
know the mysteries of the Kingdom (13:11) and who have the ability to
understand them (13:50) and, on the other side, the crowds who seem to be
deprived of this deep understanding (13:11, 34-36). To the large crowds who
gather to listen to Jesus is presented, above all, the parable of the sower.
Jesus speaks about a seed that falls (or not!) on the earth. Its growth depends
on the place where it falls; it is possible for it to be hindered so that it
cannot bear fruit. This is what happens in the first three types of earth
“along the road side” (the ground hardened by the passing of men and animals),
“the rocky earth” (formed by rocks), “on the thorns” (it is the earth covered
with thorns). Instead, the seed that falls on “good ground” bears excellent
fruit, even if at different levels. The reader is directed to be more attentive
to the yield of the grain than to the action of the sower. Besides, Matthew
focuses the attention of the listener on the good earth and the fruit that this
earth is capable of producing in an exceptional manner.
The first part of the parable ends with an admonition: “Anyone
who has ears should listen” (v. 9); it is an appeal to the freedom of the
listener. The word of Jesus may remain a “parable” for a crowd incapable of
understanding, or it can reveal “the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven” for
those who allow themselves to be upset or affected by its force. It is the
acceptance of the Word of Jesus that distinguishes the disciples from the
indeterminate crowds; the faith of the first ones reveals the blindness of the
others and obliges them to look “beyond” the parable.
• To listen and to understand. It is always Jesus who leads the
disciples on the right path for the understanding of the parable. In the future
through the disciples, it is the Church to be guided in the understanding of
the Word of Jesus. In the explanation of the parable the pair of verbs “to
listen” and “to understand” appears in 13:33: That which has been sown in the
good ground is the one who listens to the Word and understands it...” It is in the
understanding that the true disciple is distinguished from the crowds, who
listen to Jesus’ words only occasionally.
• Hindrances to understanding. Jesus recalls, above all, the
negative response to His preaching on the Kingdom of Heaven given by His contemporaries.
Such a negative response is connected to the various impediments among them.
The earth on the edge of the road is that transformed by pedestrians into a
trodden road; it is totally negative: “Throw the seeds on the pavement of the
street, everybody knows that it serves nothing: the necessary conditions for
growth do not exist. And, then people go by, step over it, and ruin the seed.
The seed should not be thrown just any place” (Carlos Mesters). Above all,
there is the personal responsibility of the individual: to accept God’s Word in
one’s own heart. If it falls on a “trodden” heart, which is obstinate because
of its own convictions and indifferent, he sides with the evil one. Then the
rocky earth: If the first impediment was constituted by an insensitive,
indifferent heart, now the image of the seed that falls on the rocks, on
stones, and among bushes indicates a heart immersed in a superficial and
worldly life. Such life styles are energies that prevent the Word of God from
bearing fruit. They begin to listen, but immediately it is blocked, not only by
tribulations and trials that are unavoidable, but also because of the
involvement of the heart in concerns and riches. It is a life that is not deep
but superficial, worldly. It is similar to instability. The good earth is the
heart that listens and understands the Word; this one bears fruit. Such fruit
is the work of the Word in the heart that accepts it. It is a question of an
active understanding that allows one to get involved by God’s action present in
the Word of Jesus. The understanding of His Word will continue to be
inaccessible if we neglect the encounter with Him and, therefore, we do not
allow it to overflow in us.
4) Personal questions
• Does listening lead to the deep understanding of God’s Word or
does it remain only an intellectual exercise?
• Are you a heart that accepts, that is available, docile to attain a full understanding of the Word?
• The crowds traveled far to hear Jesus. They invested time and effort, yet they are identified as having hard or rocky hearts. At some level, they came to say yes, but don’t. Do we also come to say yes but don’t really?
• Are you a heart that accepts, that is available, docile to attain a full understanding of the Word?
• The crowds traveled far to hear Jesus. They invested time and effort, yet they are identified as having hard or rocky hearts. At some level, they came to say yes, but don’t. Do we also come to say yes but don’t really?
5) Concluding Prayer
The Law of Yahweh is perfect, refreshment to the soul;
The precepts of Yahweh are honest,
light for the eyes. (Ps 19:7-8)
The precepts of Yahweh are honest,
light for the eyes. (Ps 19:7-8)
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