Listen and Act
Brethren, St Ignatius of Loyola recommends over and over again to consider all our current decisions and actions from the point of view of the last judgement. Imagine, you and I have been the ones going to church, joining choirs, preaching to people and always calling on to the name of Lord Jesus, but then after reaching in front of Jesus on the last day and he says, "I don't know you; “it's very disheartening and a frightening scenario. Why would Jesus say that since we have been calling on his name? The Gospel today gives us the answer: it is because of not doing the will of God, we just hear and do not act. We need to listen and act; this is true Christianity.
Those who say “Lord, Lord” but do not align their actions with God’s will only pay lip service to Christ. Some might profess to be Christian, for example, but not act in a Christian way. Or they might pray to ask for God’s guidance but then not follow up and act in accordance with what they have discerned to be God’s will for them. We can ask ourselves in what way we have paid lip service to Christ instead of aligning our actions with our words. Are we truly living our faith in an authentic way? Practicing obedience to God counteracts a habit of paying lip service because it requires listening to God and then doing what he asks of us instead of doing what we want to do. “Blessed indeed are the obedient, for God will never permit them to go astray” (St. Francis de Sales).
This Gospel directs us to hear Jesus’ word of truth and respond with genuine action. St. James exhorts us to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). First, we must hear the word and then allow it to penetrate our hearts in order to respond to it. Before we hear the Gospel proclaimed at Mass, we trace a cross on our foreheads, lips, and hearts. This should remind us to listen to the word intently, consider it with our minds (forehead), and let it seep down like water into our hearts so that we can sincerely proclaim and profess the Gospel in our daily lives.
To reinforce his teaching, Jesus uses the image of building on sand and building on the rock. Take a moment to imagine a house built on sand and how it would look after a storm. Those who deceive themselves by paying lip service to Christ are building their houses on sand. When the storms of life come, they will be blown around with no rock of security to hold onto. They will be shaken and have no peace. They trust only in themselves. Conversely, those who hear the word and act in accordance with it are wise and dwell in security: “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken” (Psalm 16:8). They place their trust in the Lord and so can have peace, even amid a storm.
Reflect, today, upon the foundation of your life. Advent is a time when we examine whether or not the foundation of our life is Jesus. He entered our world and took on flesh so that He could be that rock foundation. And the path to that rock foundation is to listen, comprehend and act. Set your “house” on Him in this way and no storm will erode the foundation of your life.
Let us Pray.
Lord Jesus, you are the only foundation that can hold us up when trials and disaster threaten us. Give me the wisdom, foresight, and strength of character I need to do what is right and good and to reject whatever is false and contrary to your will. May I be a doer of your word and not a hearer only. Amen
Be blessed.
No comments:
Post a Comment