28 Jan 2010 Thursday, Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor of the Church

Reading 1
2 Sm 7:18-19, 24-29

After Nathan had spoken to King David,
the king went in and sat before the LORD and said,
“Who am I, Lord GOD, and who are the members of my house,
that you have brought me to this point?
Yet even this you see as too little, Lord GOD;
you have also spoken of the house of your servant
for a long time to come:
this too you have shown to man, Lord GOD!
“You have established for yourself your people Israel as yours forever,
and you, LORD, have become their God.
And now, LORD God, confirm for all time the prophecy you have made
concerning your servant and his house,
and do as you have promised.
Your name will be forever great, when men say,
‘The LORD of hosts is God of Israel,’
and the house of your servant David stands firm before you.
It is you, LORD of hosts, God of Israel,
who said in a revelation to your servant,
‘I will build a house for you.’
Therefore your servant now finds the courage to make this prayer to you.
And now, Lord GOD, you are God and your words are truth;
you have made this generous promise to your servant.
Do, then, bless the house of your servant
that it may be before you forever;
for you, Lord GOD, have promised,
and by your blessing the house of your servant
shall be blessed forever.”

Gospel
Mk 4:21-25

Jesus said to his disciples,
“Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket
or under a bed,
and not to be placed on a lampstand?
For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible;
nothing is secret except to come to light.
Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.”
He also told them, “Take care what you hear.
The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you,
and still more will be given to you.
To the one who has, more will be given;
from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

Meditation: Mark 4:21-25

Did you ever play the game of “telephone” when you were growing up? It’s rather simple: The first person hears a message, which he then passes on to the next, and so on down the line.


Usually the message is fairly complicated, and as it passes from person to person, the details get confused. Often by the time it makes its way to the last one in line, it’s hardly the same message anymore! This can be a great game—but it’s also an excellent way to teach children good listening skills.

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is teaching about a different kind of listening. When he says, “take care what you hear,” he doesn’t mean getting every word he says exactly right (Mark 4:24). Even the writers of the gospels, as consistent as they were, didn’t tell their stories the same way. What Jesus means is that we need to hear with our hearts as well as our ears. We hear God’s word every Sunday, year after year, but for it to bear fruit, we need to receive it on the inside. We need to listen with our hearts!

So how can we improve our listening skills? Like a farmer preparing his fields for planting, our first step is to clear the ground. We need to get rid of any attachments, attitudes, and distractions that could hinder God’s word from taking root in us. The next step is a very active one: Once God’s word has found a home in us, we have to give out what we’ve received. In other words, we’ve got to put feet on our ears!

There’s no question that God wants to do great things in your life. Through his word, he may have inspired you to evangelize, to serve the poor, to pray for the sick, or simply to love those closest to you. However you have heard him call you, don’t let it go! Ask him to set you free from anything that might keep you from doing his will. When you take that first step and respond in faith, you’ll find the next step much easier—and the next!

“Lord, give me ears open to hearing you and a heart willing to serve you. Let your word do its work in me, and make me always faithful to your inspirations!”