July 23, 2021
St. Bridget
Mt 13: 18-23
“Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.
As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Eagerly receiving the Word of God
How many times have you been at Mass and heard a Scripture and thought to yourself, Oh, this one again. I hate to admit that sometimes I fall into a rut where the Gospels, after hearing or reading them so many times, seem to lose their “luster” or “shock value”. In these moments, whether we realize it or not, we become the one who doesn’t truly understand, or the one without roots, or the one overcome with the world’s problems and temptations. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes, ears, hearts, and minds to receive the Word of God with eagerness, attention, and childlike acceptance.
—Audrey Merck is a Theology teacher and Summer Bridge Principal at Jesuit High School in Tampa, Florida.
Prayer
Lord, give us eyes to recognize you, ears to hear you, minds to ponder you, hearts to love you, and hands to serve you. Amen.
—Audrey Merck
Please share the Good Word with your friends!