"All those who welcome the Word as the Guest of their hearts..."

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Some of you may recognize this “quote” from the introduction to the First Psalm in the “Liturgy of the Hours - Morning Prayer” for today. As I read it before my husband and I prayed the first psalm (Ps 5) I was so blessed by it – although I must have read these words countless times before today:

Those who welcome the Word as the Guest of thier hearts will have abiding joy

By God’s Grace, it seems to me God wanted me to be encouraged to continue writing posts on His Word revealed in the Mass readings every day – encouraing all to LISTEN with attention and devotion to what God is revealing to us in Jesus through Mary, by the power of His Holy Spirit.

Significantly, as I listened to and pondered today’s Mass readings I hear a very similar message as we heard in yesterday’s Mass readings. Today the Profet Jeremiah listens to and obeys God’s Word. It is a long passage so due to the limit on CAF’s word count I will not coy all but this last sentence:

…I made the whole house of Israel
and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the LORD;
to be my people, my renown, my praise, my beauty.
But they did not listen. (from JER 13: 1-11)

Responsorial:

R. (see 18a) You have forgotten God who gave you birth. (from DEUTERONOMY 32:18-19, 20, 21)

Alleluia Verse and Gospel:

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Father willed to give us birth by the word of truth
that we may be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. (James 1:18)
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds.

“The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.
It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.
It becomes a large bush,
and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”

He spoke to them another parable.
“The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch was leavened.”

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.
He spoke to them only in parables,
to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:

I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation
of the world (MT 13:31-35)

Note: “Birds” in the Gospel can be positive images or negative. The Holy Spirit is a positive beautiful image but the birds who devour the seed sown by the sower are not!

Come Holy Spirit, bring your Church into ALL Truth. Mary, Mother of the Church pray for us.

 

[hazcompat]

Second reading
From a Sermon by Saint Caesarius of Arles, bishop
Divine and human mercy

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. My brothers and sisters, sweet is the thought of mercy, but even more so is mercy itself. It is what all men hope for, but unfortunately, not what all men deserve. For while all men wish to receive it, only a few are willing to give it.

How can a man ask for himself what he refuses to give to another? If he expects to receive any mercy in heaven, he should give mercy on earth. Do we all desire to receive mercy? Let us make mercy our patroness now, and she will free us in the world to come. Yes, there is mercy in heaven, but the road to it is paved by our merciful acts on earth. As Scripture says: Lord, your mercy is in heaven.
…

Sow seeds of Mercy in time, reap Mercy in eternity!

Peace

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear hazcompat,

Each day when I pray the Divine Mercy chaplet, I thank God for giving this prayer to St. Faustina. It is significant to me that the chaplet begins with the Prayer Jesus Himself taught us. We need to pray for God’s mercy on ourselves and on the whole world. These are very difficult and serious days in the world.

Just as I am trying to encourage people to LISTEN to the Incarnate Word in Scripture, by slowing down to hear everything Jesus said – as Mary did – and to ponder all in our hearts – as Mary did by God’s Grace, so that we, again by God’s Grace, do the Truth we hear from Him so also do we need to slow down more often in prayer!

May God help us to encourage one another to “slow down” in praying as – St. Teresa of Avila warned her sisters: She told them if they were not praying with attention and devotion then they may be moving their lips but they were NOT praying! Ah, the Wisdom of the Saints!

If we are to learn what true Mercy, True Love and True Prayer are, we need to Listen with the “ears of our hearts” and pray as Jesus taught us to pray and Mary gives us the perfect example of the human response to our Divine calling! Thanks again for your comments and replies, hazcompat!

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Stephie,

Thanks again for your “ever-Faith-full” heart! I hope others who read God’s Word in yesterday’s Mass readings, have really prayerfully LISTENED to God speaking to the Church and realized each member will be held accountable at the end of our lives here on earth.

Holy Mary, Mother of God and of His Church, pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen.