HARDEN NOT YOUR HEARTS

24 JULY 2025

Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

HARDEN NOT YOUR HEARTS          

Introduction

Before entering into a covenant with his people, God impresses on them that he is “totally other.” He is beyond our theories, the images we have formed of him, our attempts to possess him. We can only stammer his name with words that say something about him, yet that never can encompass him. He is “in a dense cloud.” Still, he enters into a dialogue with his people.

Jesus complains that there are some who close their hearts to his message of life. His message is simple. Much of it is told in the moving stories of the parables. Why don’t people understand them? They are fickle and busy with themselves and their own little affairs. Or they think they are too learned and too self-sufficient, above the little ones, the humble, the simple people; these are the ones eager to be receptive to the Word of God and pay attention to it.

Opening Prayer

God, you care for us.
your Son Jesus, told us this in wonderful stories
about your forgiveness, your love, and your patient mercy.
Do not allow us to be so fickle or indifferent
that we close our eyes and ears to them,
but make us see and hear with our hearts
that these simple stories are speaking
of the very meaning of our lives.
Count us among the simple people
who understand what you are telling us
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Intercessions

–   For those who are not moved by the Word of God, that the Church may hear their silent yearning and speak the word in such a way that makes them see that it pertains to their life and happiness today, we pray:

–   For those who remain deaf to the Word of God, that they may be moved when they see it flowering and bearing fruit in the life of good Christians, we pray:

–   For the sick, the lonely, those who suffer or mourn, that the Word of God may bring them consolation, give them the courage to bear their pain and to keep hoping in a loving God, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
we are ready to listen to the secrets
of the kingdom of heaven.
We bring before you
these simple offerings of bread and wine.
Let them express that we want
to be open to these secrets with unsophisticated hearts,
for you reveal yourself
to those who listen with their hearts.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
make us attentive to the words
Jesus has spoken to us at his table
and keep stirring in us the love he has shown us.
Let our faith be more
than formulas that do not change life.
Make the story of our life speak to those around us
that we have understood how much you care
and respond to you with all that is in us,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Blessing

“Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear.” Listen to the Lord with your hearts, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Reflection

Matthew 13:10-17

The world's noises stop us from hearing God's voice

Our faith and understanding are gifts of the Holy Spirit that enable us to hear God's word and love him and his people better. Jesus just told the Parable of the Sower, describing all the different kinds of grounds that seeds fall on. The roots of some sprouts grow quickly and wither away, but the roots of others are deep, and they grow and flourish in the end. Taking root in the Gospel can take time.

The prophet Isaiah predicted that some would hear God's word but not believe, and some would see God's actions but remain unconvinced. Jesus would express the same concern with his disciples that not everyone would understand his parables. Jesus' words were not hard to understand intellectually, but their hearts were closed to what he said. The secrets of God's kingdom can only be revealed to the humble and trusting individual who acknowledges the need for God and for his truth.

Ironically, some of Jesus' greatest sceptics were learned scribes and Pharisees who boasted of their knowledge of the Scriptures, especially the Torah. Despite hearing Jesus' parables and seeing his great signs and miracles, they did not accept him or his message. Is it possible that this carpenter's son would know more about God and his Word than these experts who have spent their lives studying and teaching the law of Moses?

We too, will "hear and not understand" and "see but not perceive" God's word if we approach it with indifference, scepticism, and disbelief. Do we look without seeing? Do we hear without understanding? The parable of Jesus challenges us to get out of our laziness. Our minds are easily distracted by too much information and images without any insight. We spend hours dealing with trivial matters but fail to hear God's voice.

Holy Spirit, be our teacher and guide. Open our ears to hear God's word and open our eyes to understand God's actions in our lives. May our hearts never grow dull and may our ears never tire of hearing Christ's voice.

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24 July 2025

Matthew 13: 10-17

Let the Word soften your heart

Jesus speaks to us in parables. He uses the language of daily life—seeds, soil, lamps, bread—so that everyone, especially the simple and humble, can understand. This is how God speaks: not with complicated words, but with clarity and love. We too are invited to communicate the Good News not in abstract or distant ways, but by making Jesus’s message visible in the ordinary moments of life—in our homes, our workplaces, our streets.

But even when the Word is near, we do not always understand. Sometimes our hearts are closed, tired, or distracted. We become like the hardened path where the seed cannot take root. At times, we carry wounds or disappointments that have made us defensive, suspicious, closed in on ourselves. When we live this way, even the most beautiful message struggles to reach us.

Dear friends, let us not be afraid to let Jesus enter our hearts. The Lord does not force His way in; He knocks gently, and waits. If we are hard-hearted, it may be because life has bruised us—but the Lord does not come to judge us. He comes to heal, to make all things new, to bring joy where there is bitterness.

Let us open our hearts. Allow ourselves to be surprised again by the goodness of life and the tenderness of God. Say “yes” to love, to forgiveness, to new beginnings. Let’s not live life like a stone on the road—cold, still, unmoved. Let the Word of God soften our hearts.

The Lord is near, and His love is never far from those who listen and see with the eyes of the heart. May Mary, our Mother, help us to listen well and live with open hearts

Let the Word soften your heart - Youtube