Thursday, July 23, 2020 - 16th week of Ordinary Time - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 13, 10-17 - Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for having revealed to the little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom!

It is through our sense organs that we communicate with the world around us, the ears to hear, the eyes to see... And it often happens to us to say: "You are not even listening to me" when someone discusses with us that he does not understand what we want to say. In the same way, this is how Jesus speaks to those who hear Him but do not understand what He wants to say. There are also those to whom the truth is announced, but only stick to what they have in mind. We Christians who follow Christ receive His word and His teaching without hesitation. This translates into the joy we feel when we listen to his Word.

Jesus uses parables referring to reality in his teachings, because the Kingdom of God is a mystery; inaccessible to the understanding. It is therefore only by faith that we can understand it. Those who have faith can easily understand the secret of the kingdom of heaven. Repentance, on the other hand, is the result of faith and leads to a perfecting life as a disciple of Christ. Contemplating Christ, seeing Him and hearing His voice, fills us with inner joy. Today, our lives are so noisy that we can no longer hear his voice. We are so busy with the daily routine that time for prayer or time to meet God in the church is sacrificed to other activities. We must realize that our life must draw its vital strength from God: listening to the Word of God, contemplating Jesus in the Eucharist. It is this strength that we receive from God that allows us to go about our daily occupations, a life that is not free of anguish and anxiety. But Jesus knows how to calm our hearts. Amen!