GOSPEL REFLECTION OF POPE FRANCIS - 07/27/23 (Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time)

From the Gospel according to Matthew

Mt 13:10-17

The disciples approached Jesus and said,

"Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?"

He said to them in reply,

"Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven

has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.

To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;

from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

This is why I speak to them in parables, because

they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.

Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:

You shall indeed hear but not understand,

you shall indeed look but never see.

Gross is the heart of this people,

they will hardly hear with their ears,

they have closed their eyes,

lest they see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their hearts and be converted

and I heal them.

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see,

and your ears, because they hear.

Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people

longed to see what you see but did not see it,

and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER

The Bible says that Moses spoke to the Lord face to face, like a friend, and this is how prayer must be: free, insistent, with arguments, [even] ‘reproving’ the Lord a little: ‘but you promised me this and you didn’t do it!’”. Prayer, is like “speaking with a friend: in prayer one opens one’s heart”. Moses went down the mountain reinvigorated, saying ‘I got to know the Lord better’. And that strength allowed him to resume his work of leading the people to the Promised Land”. For “prayer reinvigorates”. May the Lord give us all grace, for prayer is a grace. It changes our hearts, it makes us understand better who our God truly is. However, it is important not to speak to God with empty words like the pagans. Instead, we need to tell him the truth: “but look, Lord, I have this problem in my family, with my son, with this or that.... What is to be done? You can’t leave me like this!”. This is prayer. Does this prayer take a long time? Yes, it takes time. (Homily Santa Marta, 3 April 2014)

Source:

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/word-of-the-day.html

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth