Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever; And blessed is your holy and glorious name, praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages. Glory and praise for ever!

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 13:10-17, today's readings).

"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."

The disciples ask Jesus why he speaks to the crowds in parables. He responds by telling them, "This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand." Jesus goes on to quote Isaiah, to show that the people who hear but do not understand fulfill his prophecy. In his compassion, Jesus fulfills Isaiah's prophecy as the one who heals them as they "see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts." Blessed are our eyes, Lord, when we see you and our ears when we hear you.

God, help me see, hear, and understand your will. As much as I try, I am afraid that I don't see and hear and understand you well enough and often enough to comprehend it. You said to Moses, "I am coming to you in a dense cloud so that the people may always have faith in you also." Give me the grace to trust in the work you do in my life and through me so that I can be a witness to your compassion to others. Saint Charbel, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.