July 27, 2017

Gospel: Mt 13:10-17
Then his disciples came to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?“
Jesus answered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but not to these people. For the one who has will be given more; and he will have in abundance. But the one who does not have will be deprived of even what he has. That is why I speak to them in parables; because they look and do not see; they hear; but they do not listen or understand.
In them, the words of the prophet Isaiah are fulfilled: However much you hear, you do not understand; however much you see, you do not perceive.
For the heart of this people has grown dull. Their ears hardly hear and their eyes dare not see. If they were to see with their eyes, hear with their ears and understand with their heart, they would turn back, and I would heal them.
But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
For I tell you, many prophets and righteous people have longed to see the things you see, but they did not see them; and to hear the things you hear, but they did not hear them.

REFLECTION:
“Blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.“ The disciples are truly privileged to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Among so many others who probably are more deserving, they have been chosen by the Lord to be his friends and close collaborators. They are fortunate enough to have lived with the Lord and have known him up close and personal. As they journey with Jesus they grow in the knowledge of the kingdom as they are given the joy and the rare opportunity to have a part in its proclamation and realization.
It is about time that we recognize what great joy and privilege to be a disciple and an apostle of Jesus. Acknowledging this fact effec­tively enables us to be humble, joyful and appreciative of such privi­lege. This spirit or attitude enables us to see our mission of evangelization not as a burden but a special favor we have received in spite of our unworthiness. It inspires us to become humble because we recognize we are unworthy of the gift. Thus it is an effective antidote to a sense of entitlement. It further impels us to become generous to others especially those who are unable to reciprocate our generosity.