First reading Exodus 19:1-2,9-11,16-20
Moses speaks with God on Sinai
Three months after they came out of the land of Egypt, on that day the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sinai. From Rephidim they set out again; and when they reached the wilderness of Sinai, there in the wilderness they pitched their camp; there facing the mountain Israel pitched camp.
The Lord said to Moses, ‘I am coming to you in a dense cloud so that the people may hear when I speak to you and may trust you always.’ And Moses took the people’s reply back to the Lord.
The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and tell them to prepare themselves today and tomorrow. Let them wash their clothing and hold themselves in readiness for the third day, because on the third day the Lord will descend on the mountain of Sinai in the sight of all the people.’
Now at daybreak on the third day there were peals of thunder on the mountain and lightning flashes, a dense cloud, and a loud trumpet blast, and inside the camp all the people trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the bottom of the mountain. The mountain of Sinai was entirely wrapped in smoke, because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. Like smoke from a furnace the smoke went up, and the whole mountain shook violently. Louder and louder grew the sound of the trumpet. Moses spoke, and God answered him with peals of thunder. The Lord came down on the mountain of Sinai, on the mountain top, and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain; and Moses went up.
Responsorial Psalm Daniel 3:52-56
To you glory and praise for evermore.
You are blest, Lord God of our fathers.
Blest your glorious holy name.
You are blest in the temple of your glory.
You are blest on the throne of your kingdom.
You are blest who gaze into the depths.
You are blest in the firmament of heaven.
Gospel Matthew 13:10-17
Prophets and holy men longed to hear what you hear
The disciples went up to Jesus and asked, ‘Why do you talk to them in parables?’ ‘Because’ he replied, ‘the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed to you, but they are not revealed to them. For anyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So in their case this prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled:
You will listen and listen again, but not understand,
see and see again, but not perceive.
For the heart of this nation has grown coarse,
their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes,
for fear they should see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their heart,
and be converted
and be healed by me.
‘But happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.’
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A receptive heart that listens
Jesus spoke in parables, which not everyone understood. This was not because His listeners lacked the intellectual capacity to comprehend them. Instead, Jesus’ parables were meant to be grasped not with the mind but with the heart of faith. “The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding…” (The Gospel). Jesus recognised that among the large crowds, there were people who saw Him and heard Him speak, yet they remained on the surface. Their hearts were closed, preventing them from perceiving His true identity and authority. For these individuals, despite their efforts to look and listen, the deeper truth eluded them.
Only those with simple and humble hearts can truly delve deeper and understand the profound meaning behind Jesus’ words. Only those with open and receptive hearts allow the Word of God to confront, challenge, and transform their lives. Today, let us open our hearts to Jesus and invite His Word to enter deeply within us, enabling us to recognise Him in our reality and guiding us to live with a greater purpose.
Reflective question:
How can I allow Jesus’ Word to be alive and active in me?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
