Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time / Optional Memorial of Saint Sharbel Makhlūf, Priest
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.

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Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025