20250724 ENCOUNTERING THE MYSTERY OF GOD
24 July 2025, Thursday, 16th Week of Ordinary Time
First reading |
Exodus 19:1-2,9-11,16-20 |
Moses speaks with God on Sinai
Three months after they came out of the land of Egypt, on that day the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sinai. From Rephidim they set out again; and when they reached the wilderness of Sinai, there in the wilderness they pitched their camp; there facing the mountain Israel pitched camp.
The Lord said to Moses, ‘I am coming to you in a dense cloud so that the people may hear when I speak to you and may trust you always.’ And Moses took the people’s reply back to the Lord.
The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and tell them to prepare themselves today and tomorrow. Let them wash their clothing and hold themselves in readiness for the third day, because on the third day the Lord will descend on the mountain of Sinai in the sight of all the people.’
Now at daybreak on the third day there were peals of thunder on the mountain and lightning flashes, a dense cloud, and a loud trumpet blast, and inside the camp all the people trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the bottom of the mountain. The mountain of Sinai was entirely wrapped in smoke, because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. Like smoke from a furnace the smoke went up, and the whole mountain shook violently. Louder and louder grew the sound of the trumpet. Moses spoke, and God answered him with peals of thunder. The Lord came down on the mountain of Sinai, on the mountain top, and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain; and Moses went up.
Responsorial Psalm | Daniel 3:52-56 |
To you glory and praise for evermore.
You are blest, Lord God of our fathers.
To you glory and praise for evermore.
Blest your glorious holy name.
To you glory and praise for evermore.
You are blest in the temple of your glory.
To you glory and praise for evermore.
You are blest on the throne of your kingdom.
To you glory and praise for evermore.
You are blest who gaze into the depths.
To you glory and praise for evermore.
You are blest in the firmament of heaven.
To you glory and praise for evermore.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps94:8 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mt11:25 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 13:10-17 |
Prophets and holy men longed to hear what you hear
The disciples went up to Jesus and asked, ‘Why do you talk to them in parables?’ ‘Because’ he replied, ‘the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed to you, but they are not revealed to them. For anyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So in their case this prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled:
You will listen and listen again, but not understand,
see and see again, but not perceive.
For the heart of this nation has grown coarse,
their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes,
for fear they should see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their heart,
and be converted
and be healed by me.
‘But happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.’
ENCOUNTERING THE MYSTERY OF GOD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EX 19:1-2. 9-11. 16-20; DANIEL 3:52-56; MT 13:10-17]
In the first reading from the Book of Exodus, God was preparing the people to encounter Him, when He would then make a covenant with them. This is unimaginable, considering that the sons of Israel had been rebellious, complaining, and ungrateful for what the Lord had done for them. In spite of the signs and wonders He performed in Egypt and during their passage from Egypt to the Sinai Peninsula, they were still unable to recognize that God was their Lord. They continued to doubt His love and His fidelity to the sons of Israel, even though they saw the works of God in providing them with water in the desert, manna from heaven, and quails for their meat. His love and graciousness are shown in His desire to make a covenant with Israel so that they could be His people, despite their lack of faith and fidelity to Him.
To impress upon them the mystery of His divine presence and power, God instructed Moses to have the people purify themselves so that He could “appear” to them through signs and wonders – “peals of thunder on the mountain and lightning flashes, a dense cloud, and a loud trumpet blast.” Indeed, it was such a great moment when “the mountain of Sinai was entirely wrapped in smoke, because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. Like smoke from a furnace the smoke went up, and the whole mountain shook violently. Louder and louder grew the sound of the trumpet. Moses spoke, and God answered him with peals of thunder. The Lord came down on the mountain of Sinai, on the mountain top, and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain.”
It is important to take note that in order to meet God at the foot of the mountain, the people were instructed to “wash their clothing and hold themselves in readiness for the third day, because on the third day the Lord will descend on the mountain of Sinai in the sight of all the people.” Purification and preparation are necessary steps to encounter God. Without them, there can be no encounter, as the heart is not ready to meet Him. Rituals such as these are necessary to help people become aware of whom they are meeting. This remains true even for us Catholics, who are asked to abstain an hour before receiving the Eucharist to remind us that we are not consuming ordinary food, but the flesh and blood of our Lord. Furthermore, Catholics in a state of grave sin must also confess their sins before receiving the Eucharist worthily.
Indeed, the ancient document entitled The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles gives specific instructions for Christians to receive the Eucharist worthily. It states, “On the Lord’s day, when you have been gathered together, break bread and celebrate the Eucharist. But first confess your sins so that your offering may be pure. If anyone has a quarrel with his neighbour, that person should not join you until he has been reconciled. Your sacrifice must not be defiled. In this regard, the Lord has said: In every place and time offer me a pure sacrifice. I am a great king, says the Lord, and my name is great among the nations.” It further decrees, “Do not let anyone eat or drink of your eucharist except those who have been baptized in the name of the Lord. For the statement of the Lord applies here also: Do not give to dogs what is holy.”
Within this context we can better appreciate today’s gospel when Jesus explained to the disciples why He spoke to the crowds only in parables. “‘Because’ he replied, ‘the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed to you, but they are not revealed to them. For anyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding.” Standard intellectual discourse alone cannot lead a person to encounter the mystery of God. It can only prepare the mind to be open and receptive to the experience of God. Doctrines are formulae which encapsulate the religious experiences of the community; they do not make sense apart from those religious experiences. The process of encountering God begins with a religious experience, and when such an experience is authenticated as genuine, it is articulated in words, which we call doctrines.
So, the instruction in the mystery of God presupposes a personal encounter with the Lord. Without this encounter, the people will remain unenlightened and resistant, because they will be attempting to use their mind to understand a truth beyond their human understanding. Jesus cited Prophet Isaiah as saying, “You will listen and listen again, but not understand, see and see again, but not perceive. For the heart of this nation has grown coarse, their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes for fear they shall see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed by me.” St. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, also said something similar. “As it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him’ these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor 2:9-11; 14)
How, then, do we mediate an encounter with God – whom people do not know, or cannot see, or feel – and even if they do, how would they know it is from God? The most effective way to help people open themselves to the experience of God and encounter His divine mystery is by helping them connect their human experiences with the God-experience. In this regard, teaching through parables using everyday life examples enables listeners to catch a glimpse of what an encounter with God’s mystery looks like. Hence, parables can only be fully understood by those who live within the cultural and social context they reflect. This explains why the parables of Jesus were taken from realities such as fishing, farming, animals, household matters, losing and finding, and elements of nature – like light, salt, and darkness – because the people could readily identify with the images intended to convey deeper truths.
Of course, this is not yet a full encounter with the mystery of God. But it opens the minds and hearts of people to recognize the God-experience and deepens their desire to seek more. This is what the Church does for catechumens. Before their baptism, we instruct them on the faith, prepare them to receive the Lord, and through various rites, help them to encounter the Lord more deeply as they come to know Him and open their hearts to His love and mercy. Then, on the day of Baptism, they enter into the mystery of salvation – dying and rising to new life in Christ – and are filled with the love and presence of the Holy Spirit. Following the sacrament of Baptism is the period of mystagogia, during which the Church leads them into a deeper understanding of the mysteries they have experienced, so that their encounter with the mystery of God is enriched by both experience and knowledge.
Indeed, to encounter God deeply in Christ Jesus through the Holy Spirit is a great gift to us all. That is what the Lord told the disciples: “But happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.” Therefore, like the Israelites, we too must prepare ourselves to receive the Lord – whether in the celebration of the Eucharist, the sacraments, or even in prayer. Many people, though they may understand doctrinally what they are receiving in the sacraments, do not encounter the Lord deeply, simply because their hearts are unprepared or ill-disposed to receive Him, to hear His voice in the Scriptures, or because they are blocked by sin – especially by the lack of forgiveness in their hearts. To encounter the mystery of God, we must always prepare ourselves spiritually to welcome Him. We must frequent the sacrament of reconciliation and, above all, prepare our hearts and minds to enter into the mystery.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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