July 23, 2026 // Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time // Optional Memorial of Saint Bridget of Sweden, Religious

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 13:10–17

Reflect on the Word // 

I minored in Spanish as an undergrad, and one of our assignments involved translating an essay into English. Somewhere along the way, I got a key word wrong and ended up with a heartfelt reflection on a family heirloom onion that had been passed down from a grandmother, an onion that the writer recognized as a sacred part of their family. Something to treasure.

When I got to class, I discovered that the story was actually about a bracelet, not an onion, which made a lot more sense. Somehow, I chose the wrong word in translation and everything else was lost! I got most of it right, except the heart of the message. I heard but did not understand.  

“You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see” (Matthew 13:14).

How terrible and confusing when we hear but do not understand, when we look but do not see. I worked so hard to translate only to discover I was misunderstanding everything. Jesus, quoting the prophet Isaiah, warns of this—the danger of closing our eyes and ears to Him. When we don’t listen to the Lord with our heart, we get it all wrong. We can become so busy, or so convinced we have it figured out, that we are missing the point.

The best way to hear the Lord is to get in the habit of listening. We read Scripture. We fill ourselves with the goodness of God. And mostly, we must sit at the feet of the Lord and listen to what He has to say. It is not enough to just talk to Him; we also must tune our eyes and ears toward His voice and wait for Him to speak.  

Like Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus, we must listen to the voice of our Savior. He loves when we talk to Him, but in order to hear, we must also be willing to sit and listen, to hear and understand. 

Relate to the Lord // Read (or re-read) the daily readings today. Listen for His voice.