Daily Readings Reflection for 7/22/10

Reflection on Today’s Daily Readings by Fr. Bertrand Buby, SM

Today’s Readings


Scripture: July 22, Lectionary 398. Jeremiah 2:1-3,7-8, 12-13. Psalm
36:6-7,8-9, 10-11. Matthew 13:10-17:

Both testaments-- the Old Testament or Hebrew Scriptures and the New
Testament make use of the great symbols and metaphors that religious
thought utilizes.  These literary images and examples help us to get to the
heart of the revelatory message that God gives us in his loving-kindness
and mercy.  They are also paths toward developing our spiritual journeys
through meditation and prayer based on them. Today's readings lead us to
think about life-giving streams of water and the senses of sight and sound
(eyes and ears) which lead us to what Jesus says in symbolic language
through is parables.  We should take the parables and not be confused by
them. Rather enjoy them as the commercials Jesus gives us for his saving
and joyous gifts to us. We just have to open them!

The image of living water is present at the end of the scriptural reading
from Jeremiah and it is one of the most beautiful metaphors in the Bible
that help us to reflect on the need for God in our life as the source of
our dry tongues and mouths.  The Psalm will back up what Jeremiah says and
even at the end lead us to what Jesus will use in his metaphorical language
and its application for living our life in union with him as his disciples.

Jeremiah warns us against leaving aside the living waters of God's love,
inspiration, and joy.  God is the source of these living waters which
should prevent us from being warn out cisterns, cracked vessels, or dry
pieces of potshard from broken vases.  They only hold water while God's
streams of life-giving waters flow freely and in abundance but we have to
kneel down and quench our thirst from them.  Not easy for older folks!

Psalm 36 has a few verses that complement Jeremiah's imagery of the living
waters.   Verses 10-11 contain the same imagery: "For with Thee is the
fountain of life; In Thy light do we see light. O continue Thy
loving-kindness unto them that know Thee; And thy righteousness to the
upright in heart."  The Psalm verse leads us from life-giving waters into
the light seen by our eyes in the words of Jesus at the end of the Gospel
for today.

Jesus wants us to see the light and to hear his living voice. "But blest
are your eyes because they see and blest are your ears because they hear."
O Lord, we need to drink of your life-giving waters and to see with the
eyes of faith the light and beauty of your face.  We long to hear your
words of comfort and love. Help us to be aware of you this day and to enjoy
the gift of water--even bottled water! and the gift of our vision so often
glued to our computers.  Amen.