Wednesday, January 28, 2015
St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church
January 28, 2015 WEDNESDAY, 3rd Week in Ordinary Time
St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Memorial, White
Heb10: 11–18 / Mk 4: 1–20
[St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274), a Dominican priest, "the Angelic Doctor," is considered among the greatest philosophers and theologians. Pope Leo XIII declared him Patron of Catholic Schools.]
Reading: Heb10:11–18
So, whereas every priest stands daily by the altar offering repeatedly the same sacrifices that can never take away sins, Christ has offered for all times a single sacrifice for sins and has taken his seat at the right hand of God, waiting until God puts his enemies as a footstool under his feet. By a single sacrifice he has brought those who are sanctified to what is perfect forever.
This also was testified by the Holy Spirit. For after having declared: This is the covenant that I will make with them in the days to come—says the Lord—I will put my laws in their hearts and write them on their minds. He says: Their sins and evil deeds I will remember no more. So, if sins are forgiven, there is no longer need of any sacrifice for sin.
Gospel: Mk 4: 1–20
Again Jesus began to teach by the lake, but such a large crowd gathered about him that he got into a boat and sat in it on the lake while the crowd stood on the shore. He taught them many things through stories or parables. In his teaching he said,
"Listen! The sower went out to sow. As he sowed, some of the seed fell along a path and the birds came and ate it up. Some of the seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil; it sprang up immediately because it had no depth; but when the sun rose and burned it, it withered because it had no roots. Other seed fell among thornbushes and the thorns grew and choked it, so it didn't produce any grain. But some seed fell on good soil, grew and increased and yielded grain; some produced thirty times as much, others sixty and others one hundred times as much." And Jesus added, "Listen then, if you have ears."
When the crowd went away, some who were around him with the Twelve asked about the parables.
He answered them, "The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But for those outside, everything comes in parables, so that the more they see, they don't perceive; the more they hear, they don't understand; otherwise they would be converted and pardoned."
Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any of the parables?
What the sower is sowing is the word. Those along the path where the seed fell are people who hear the word, but as soon as they do, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.
Other people receive the word like rocky ground. As soon as they hear the word, they accept it with joy, but they have no roots so it lasts only a little while. No sooner does trouble or persecution come because of the word, than they fall.
Others receive the seed as among thorns. After they hear the word, they are caught up in the worries of this life, false hopes of riches and other desires. All these come in and choke the word so that finally it produces nothing.
And there are others who receive the word as good soil. They hear the word, take it to heart and produce: some thirty, some sixty and some one hundred times as much."
Reflection:
In the Parable of the Seed and the Sower, Jesus teaches us how the word of God is received by people, "Listen, then if you have ears."
How do we listen to and hear the word of God? How often have we caught ourselves distracted or preoccupied with many other things even at Mass and prayer-time! When asked by his disciples about the parables in his teaching, Jesus replied, "The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But for those outside, everything comes in parables, so that the more they see, they do not perceive; the more they hear, they do not understand; otherwise they would be converted and pardoned."
St. Thomas Aquinas whose memorial we celebrate today wrote "that for the knowledge of any divine truth, man needs divine help. . . while human beings have the natural capacity, even this is given to man according to man's nature." Knowledge and understanding of the truth are graces from God. God's word, the seed sown by the sower, will grow only if we are completely open and allow it to take root, grow and bear fruit. In addition to learning to listen, hear and understand, the word of God must be lived in our lives.
We who have received the grace of hearing the word of God are called to allow it to grow and bear fruit. We can only bear fruit if we are rooted in Jesus, if we nourish our day with prayer and especially with the Eucharist and other helps given by Jesus through the Church. All these graces and helps God is ready to give to us; all we need to do is to ask.
WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:
BIRTHDAY
BHEVERLIE T. SEMITARA
LEONARDO M. JAVIER JR.
PRAYER INTENTION
ROBIN LEE
OTHER INTENTIONS:
For the family of LJ Koh who is in financial crisis.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
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# posted by F O O D F O R T H O U G H T @ 5:31 AM 
