Dear Friend,
In the Gospel of last Sunday, Jesus invited His disciples to learn from Him – to become a model of one serving God. This Sunday, Jesus described this process of becoming a disciple, the dynamics of learning. His followers had been going through this process.
Please read Matthew 13:1-23 to your family and listen to a parable of Jesus. It is known as the Parable of the Sower.
After the parable, the disciples asked Jesus why He speaks to the people in parables. His answer described the spiritual growth process quoting Isaiah’s prophecy:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and be converted,
and I heal them.’
The disciples are blessed because they have learned this dynamics of learning – their eyes see and their ears hear. But time would come when the disciples would teach this process to the people when they would go on mission. They would spread the Good News and help the people to look to see, to listen to hear, to understand with their heart, be converted from a hard "path," a "rocky" or "thorny" ground into a "rich soil," and be healed.
This is the Spiritual Growth Process that CFMers are undergoing during Unit Meetings with the methodology of "Observe-Judge-Act."
OBSERVE: to look to see, listen to hear – to be aware, recognize and accept a reality:
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To know what one’s senses tell about a given situation,
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To interpret the meaning of the perceived situation,
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To search one’s feelings and one’s emotions about the situation,
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To search one’s attitude about the situation and have a clear understanding of the reality of the situation.
JUDGE: to understand with one’s heart –
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to discern and seek God’s will, the truth about the situation.
ACTION: To act to integrate the truth into the reality, to be converted and be healed.
Meditation ~
Is this how to have the compassion of Jesus about a given situation?
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To look with His eyes,
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To think with His mind,
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To feel with His heart, and
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To be moved by the situation?
Contemplation ~
Imagine yourself standing beside the disciples as Jesus teaches His disciples. Listen to His words. Search yourself. How you feel hearing His words? How will I respond to Him?
Family Response ~
Talk about any family situation and experience the spiritual growth process taught by Jesus. Feel the compassion of Jesus grow in you.
Joe & Charito
THE CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF MANILA'S
ONLINE RESOURCE FOR FAMILY MINISTRIES
www.simbahayan.org
servants@simbahayan.org
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