Hearing and Listening, Looking and Seeing
Jul 27: Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
I guess it’s summer rerun season.1 Yesterday, today, and tomorrow we’re re-reading the gospel from a few Sundays ago, broken up into smaller pieces. Unless your priest chose the short version, then the next couple of days are brand new!
Reading 1
Ex 19:1-2, 9-11, 16-20b
In the third month after their departure from the land of Egypt, on its first day, the children of Israel came to the desert of Sinai. After the journey from Rephidim to the desert of Sinai, they pitched camp.
While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain, the LORD told Moses, "I am coming to you in a dense cloud, so that when the people hear me speaking with you, they may always have faith in you also."
When Moses, then, had reported to the LORD the response of the people, the LORD added, "Go to the people and have them sanctify themselves today and tomorrow. Make them wash their garments and be ready for the third day; for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai before the eyes of all the people."
On the morning of the third day there were peals of thunder and lightning, and a heavy cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. But Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stationed themselves at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was all wrapped in smoke, for the LORD came down upon it in fire. The smoke rose from it as though from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. The trumpet blast grew louder and louder, while Moses was speaking and God answering him with thunder.
When the LORD came down to the top of Mount Sinai, he summoned Moses to the top of the mountain.
When you’re reading passages in the lectionary, or even following along with the Bible in a Year, it can be easy to miss the larger structure of these books. Once the Israelites arrive at Mount Sinai here in chapter 19, they don’t leave again chapter 10 of Numbers.
More than half of Exodus isn’t exodusing at all; it’s about God’s law and their response to it. More relevant to us, although we haven’t seen God come down in smoke and fire, we still have the law and the prophets to respond to.
Responsorial Psalm
Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and glorious above all forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you on the throne of your Kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
"Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever."
R. Glory and praise for ever!
For context,2 Abednego is singing this while he’s on fire. In his great faith, he still sings God’s praise while in the worst situation. He knows God looks down on him, “in the depths” of the furnace.
Alleluia
See Mt 11:25
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Pay attention to the way little kids listen when a really good storyteller is talking. That’s how we should be listening to Jesus.
Gospel
Mt 13:10-17
The disciples approached Jesus and said, "Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?"
He said to them in reply, "Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand. Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted and I heal them.
"But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."
Whether we know it or not, people learn from stories.3 Stories are memorable and entertaining. But if we watch without seeing or listen without hearing, we’ll be influenced in ways we don’t understand. We have to be discerning with our movies, shows, and books.
Jesus wants us to think deeply about His parables. He wants us to understand the lessons being taught, while remembering the plot and characters. It deepens our understanding of our faith, while making it easier to evangelize others.
Remember TV seasons?
I explain briefly how and why it works here—