What Is Growing Inside You?

Reflection Date: July 24, 2026 | Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Memorial of Saint Sharbel Makhlūf, Priest
Daily Readings:Jeremiah 3:14-17; Matthew 13:18-23

Children of God:
July 24 is the feast day of Saint Sharbel Makhluf.

Saint Sharbel Makhluf was born in 1828 in the mountain village of Bekaa Kafra in Lebanon. 

His father died when he was still very young, and his mother raised him in a family deeply rooted in the Christian faith. 

As a child, he often spent long hours in prayer and silence, tending his family's sheep while reflecting on God.

At the age of twenty-three, he left his family and entered the Maronite Monastery, later transferring to the Monastery of Saint Maron where he professed his vows. 

He took the religious name Sharbel in honor of an early Christian martyr. 

After his ordination to the priesthood, he faithfully served his community before choosing to live as a hermit. 

For twenty-three years, he embraced a life of solitude, prayer, fasting, manual labor, and deep union with God. 

Although hidden from the world, his holiness attracted many people who sought his prayers and counsel. 

After his death in 1898, countless miracles were reported through his intercession, making him one of the most beloved saints of the Middle East. 

In the gospel story of Matthew, Jesus explained that the fruitfulness of God's word depends not on the seed but on the condition of the soil that receives it.

What are our inspirations for today?

First, fruitful discipleship begins with attentive listening.

Jesus explained that some seeds fell along the path where birds quickly devoured them because they never penetrated the soil. 

He said this represented those who heard God's word but failed to understand it, allowing the evil one to snatch it away. 

The problem was not the quality of the seed but the hardness of the ground.

This can happen in our own lives. 

We hear the Gospel every Sunday, attend recollections, or listen to inspiring reflections, but if our hearts are distracted, proud, or unwilling to change, the message never truly enters us. 

God's word remains on the surface and quickly disappears amid the noise of daily life.

Saint Sharbel cultivated a heart that listened. 

His years of silence and prayer were a preparation to receive God's word more deeply. 

His quiet life teaches us that a listening heart allows God's word to take root.

Fruitful discipleship begins with attentive listening

Second, holiness is a daily challenge.

Jesus also described the good soil as the one who heard the word, understood it, and produced an abundant harvest, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 

Fruitfulness came not from occasional enthusiasm but from perseverance. 

Good soil continued nourishing the seed until it matured.

Saint Sharbel's life reflected this good soil. 

He did not become famous through public achievements or dramatic speeches. 

Instead, he faithfully lived each ordinary day in prayer, sacrifice, and obedience. 

His hidden fidelity eventually bore extraordinary fruit that continues to bless the Church even today.

God also calls us to bear fruit where we are planted. 

Whether we are parents, students, workers, religious, or priests, we become fruitful when we consistently allow God's word to shape our choices, relationships, and priorities. 

Holiness grows through daily choices rather than occasional greatness.

Holiness is a daily challenge.

As we reflect today, let us ask ourselves: What kind of soil is my heart at this moment? 

What distractions or worries keep God's word from taking deep root within me? How can I become more faithful in allowing God's word to bear fruit through my daily life?

Children of God: 
Saint Sharbel Makhluf became fertile soil because he continually nourished his relationship with God through prayer, silence, and fidelity. 

His hidden life produced visible fruits that continue to inspire millions around the world today. 

We may never live as hermits, but we are all invited to cultivate hearts that welcome God's word. 

May we never allow the worries or distractions of the world to choke the seed that God plants within us. 

Instead, may our hearts become rich soil where His word flourishes abundantly.