Monday, July 15, 2013

7/19/2013 – Friday of 15th week in Ordinary Time – Matthew 12:1-8

        The Pharisees were always trying to trap Jesus.  They always tried to find a law that they could accuse him of breaking.  They criticized his words and his actions.  They were always suspicious of his intentions.  They see his disciples picking up discarded grains in a field to eat, and immediately they want to find something wrong with it. 
         Recently, at the Trappist Abbey of Gethsemani where I went on retreat, I saw a statue of St Bernard of Clairvaux, Cistercian Abbot and Doctor of the Church.  Bernard had his arms outstretched, which showed the way he embraced the love of Christ and the teachings he brought to the world.  Bernard has this to say: “You wish to see: listen.  Hearing is a step toward vision.”  However, sometimes we see only what we want to see – we hear what we want to hear.  We need to be willing to listen in order to truly see through the eyes of faith.  May the Lord open our hearts, our eyes, and our ears.  May he remove the obstacles and barriers in our lives that are keeping us from a true life of faith. 


No comments:

Post a Comment