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Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1  : Jeremiah 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13

This word of the LORD came to me:
Go, cry out this message for Jerusalem to hear!
I remember the devotion of your youth,
how you loved me as a bride,
Following me in the desert,
in a land unsown.
Sacred to the LORD was Israel,
the first fruits of his harvest;
Should any presume to partake of them,
evil would befall them, says the LORD.

When I brought you into the garden land
to eat its goodly fruits,
You entered and defiled my land,
you made my heritage loathsome.
The priests asked not,
“Where is the LORD?”
Those who dealt with the law knew me not:
the shepherds rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
and went after useless idols.

Be amazed at this, O heavens,
and shudder with sheer horror, says the LORD.
Two evils have my people done:
they have forsaken me, the source of living waters;
They have dug themselves cisterns,
broken cisterns, that hold no water.

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 36:6-7ab, 8-9, 10-11

R. (10a) With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
O LORD, your mercy reaches to heaven;
your faithfulness, to the clouds.
Your justice is like the mountains of God;
your judgments, like the mighty deep.
R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
How precious is your mercy, O God!
The children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They have their fill of the prime gifts of your house;
from your delightful stream you give them to drink.
R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
For with you is the fountain of life,
and in your light we see light.
Keep up your mercy toward your friends,
your just defense of the upright of heart.
R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.

Alleluia  : Matthew 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel : Matthew 13:10-17

The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?”
He said to them in reply,
“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:

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 hearts and be converted
and I heal them.

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Message from the Readings

Today’s readings proclaim a powerful truth:
God calls each of us personally, plants His Word within us, and invites us to bear lasting fruit.
• Jeremiah is known, chosen, and sent by God.
• The psalmist trusts God’s faithfulness from youth to old age.
• Jesus teaches that God’s Word is alive—but its fruitfulness depends on the openness of our hearts.
The message is clear: God’s call is personal. God’s Word is powerful. Our response determines the harvest.

Reflection for the Day

Jeremiah’s call is one of the most intimate moments in Scripture. God speaks directly to him:
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” “Before you were born, I dedicated you.”
This is not just Jeremiah’s story—this is your story. God knows you. God formed you. God calls you. And God equips you for the mission He entrusts to you.
Jeremiah feels inadequate: “I am too young.” “I cannot speak.” “I am not ready.”
But God answers every fear with a promise: “Do not be afraid… I am with you.”
The psalm continues this theme of lifelong relationship. From youth, God has been the psalmist’s refuge. From childhood, God has been his strength. And now, he commits to proclaiming God’s goodness all his days.
Then Jesus offers the Parable of the Sower—a mirror for our hearts.
The seed is always good. The Word is always powerful. The Sower is always generous.
But the soil differs.
Some hearts are distracted. Some are shallow. Some are choked by worries and worldly desires. But some hearts—open, humble, receptive—bear fruit “a hundredfold.”
Today’s readings invite us to three movements:

1. Embrace your calling.
   God knows you personally and has a purpose for your life.
2. Trust God’s faithfulness.
   He has been with you from the beginning and will remain with you always.
3. Cultivate your heart.
   Make space for God’s Word—protect it, nurture it, and let it transform you.
   Let today be a day of openness, courage, and renewed commitment to God’s call.

Prayer for Today

Lord God, You formed me, You know me, and You call me by name.
Make my heart good soil for Your Word.
Remove distractions, heal my fears, and strengthen my faith so that Your truth may bear abundant fruit in my life.
Walk with me today as You walked with Jeremiah, and help me trust in Your faithful love from morning to evening, from youth to old age.
Amen.