Jesus answered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but not to these
people. For the one who has will be given more; and he will have in abundance. But the one who does not
have will be deprived of even what he has. That is why I speak to them in parables; because they look and
do not see; they hear; but they do not listen or understand.

In them, the words of the prophet Isaiah are fulfilled: However much you hear, you do not understand; however
much you see, you do not perceive.

For the heart of this people has grown dull. Their ears hardly hear and their eyes dare not see. If they were to
see with their eyes, hear with their ears and understand with their heart, they would turn back, and I would
heal them.

But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.

For I tell you, many prophets and righteous people have longed to see the things you see, but they did not see them;
and to hear the things you hear, but they did not hear them.

Reflection:

Spiritual faculties, like our physical faculties, need to be regularly exercised so as to keep them healthy and functional.
If not, whatever little health and functionality they have will also disappear. The spiritual faculty of “listening” must be
exercised regularly with our perceptive listening to the Word of God – as Mother Mary listened, cherished, and contemplated
her son’s words in her heart. Our sacramental sensibilities must be exercised by regular sacramental practice, especially
Eucharistic practice. A family that spends some 20 minutes every day to gather together to read the Word, share faith,
and listen to God’s workings in one another’s life that day will develop far deeper spiritual sensibilities. Such habits of the
heart provide us with a “third eye”, a deeper understanding to the mysteries of faith in our lives. Then we will not be like those
unfortunate ones who hear but do not understand, see but do not perceive.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2022