Theme: “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” (Psalm 95:8)
Thursday 12th March, 2026
My dear brothers and sisters,
Today the Word of God repeatedly warns us: “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” This message runs through the readings like a heartbeat. God is speaking, but the tragedy is that His people refuse to listen.
In the first reading from Jeremiah, God laments that He commanded His people: “Listen to my voice… and walk in all the ways that I command you.” Yet they did not listen. Instead, they walked according to their own stubborn hearts.
The Psalm echoes the same warning: “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah.”
And in the Gospel, Jesus frees a man from a mute demon, yet instead of recognizing God’s power, some people accuse Him of working through the prince of demons. Their hearts were so closed that even a miracle could not convince them.
Brothers and sisters, to understand this better, we can think about the human heart in biology. A heart in bad condition—blocked arteries, hardened tissues, poor circulation—cannot pump blood well. When the heart is diseased, the entire body suffers. Oxygen does not reach the organs, energy decreases, and life itself is threatened.
Something similar happens in the spiritual life when the heart becomes hardened toward God.
A spiritually diseased heart shows symptoms:
It refuses to listen to God’s word.
It becomes stubborn and self-centered, like the people in Jeremiah’s time.
It misinterprets God’s works, like those who accused Jesus in the Gospel.
And slowly, grace stops circulating within the soul.
When the spiritual heart is hardened, the whole life of faith becomes weak.
But a heart in good condition—a healthy biological heart—pumps blood freely. It keeps the body alive, active, and strong. Circulation is smooth, and every part of the body receives life.
In the same way, a spiritually healthy heart has beautiful qualities:
It listens readily to God’s voice.
It is soft, humble, and receptive to grace.
It recognizes God’s works and gives Him glory.
And God’s life flows freely within it.
Such a heart becomes a dwelling place for God.
So today the Lord places before us a simple but urgent invitation: “If today you hear His voice…” Notice the word today. God is not asking us to change tomorrow or next year. He calls us today—in this moment—to open our hearts.
Let us ask the Lord during this Eucharist to perform a kind of spiritual heart surgery within us. May He remove any hardness, pride, or stubbornness, and give us a new and living heart—a heart that listens, believes, and obeys.
Then God’s grace will circulate through our lives, bringing life not only to us, but to everyone around us.
“If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” Amen.
By Most Rev. John Kobina Louis
