“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
matthew 7:24
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.”
Reflection
Jesus tells the disciples that not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven; only those who do the will of the Father will enter heaven. He emphasizes that everyone who listens to his words and acts upon them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock, and it did not crumble, even after floods and winds. But those who do not act upon his words are like fools who built their house on sand, and it collapsed after winds and floods.
Are you the wise man or the fool in this Gospel? We have all heard Jesus’ words through Scripture and listened to his teachings; do we act upon them? Some teachings are easier to carry out in our daily lives – being kind to one another, living humbly, praying daily, etc. But others are more difficult or not as appealing to us, therefore making us not want to live them out. In those instances, we are being like the fool, for our foundation is weak and we will break under pressure.
Our society doesn’t want us to have a strong foundation in anything, but particularly in religion. Going with the flow of popular opinion and trends, not having firm beliefs in anything, and most especially, not believing in objective truth is the trap many people fall into. Not having that firm foundation allows our minds to be easily manipulated about many subjects.
But when we have faith and trust in God, the whimsy of society cannot easily sway us. Our Christian beliefs set us up for a holy life, one that takes Christ’s teachings and applies them to daily living. No matter the change in attitudes or opinions that occur in society, we can stand firm in what we know to be true and simply allow Jesus to lead us to himself in heaven. We can be like the wise man when we put our beliefs in Christ only, not what the world tempts us with. How can you grow in wisdom today?
Saint of the Day
St. Josemaria Escriva: 1902 – 1975
“God always wins. If you are his instrument, you too will win, because you will fight God’s battles.”
The Forge, No. 989 by St. Josemaria
The Healing Word 