July 28, Thursday, 17th Week in Ordinary Time
Daily readings: Jeremiah 18:1-6; Gospel: Matthew 13:47-53
Every person who listens carefully is given a chance to act as a scribe who has been told to "bring from his pantry both the new and the old"
The gospel reading has two parts: in the first part, Jesus gives the parable of the net thrown into the sea. In the second part, Jesus concludes the parable with an invitation to become an instructed scribe in the kingdom of God.
The net thrown into the sea collects all types of fish and sea creatures. The fisherman sits and chooses the best that will go into the bucket. The rest are a burden to him. He has to get rid of them. He has his criteria for choosing the fish. The fish can’t question his decision.
In the first reading, the Prophet Jeremiah receives his prophecy at the potter’s house. The Lord reveals that he has the freedom to mold the people in his way. The people can’t question the Lord.
The readings challenge us on two levels:
(i) God is the author of life. He guides the course of our lives the way he wants. We need to surrender to him.
(ii) It depends on us to become the fish that will go to the bucket. The sea offers us a possibility for growth.
Let us ask ourselves: Can we become "instructed scribes" who can distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong, and act accordingly?
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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