Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

Jesus makes clear that to become wise we must listen to his words and act on them. We cannot simply sit passively by and never respond to the responsibilities the gospels place upon Christ’s disciples. When we hear Jesus’ message of love, we must respond to it by living charitable lives. So too, we must be forgiving and merciful just as Christ states in the Good News. We also need to be willing to suffer while proclaiming the gospels just as Jesus did. We cannot be servants of God if all we give Him is our ears and not our hearts. We must internalize God’s message of faith, hope, and charity and then manifest it through our words and works.

Do we not only listen to the Word of God, but display its truths in our daily lives? Are our lives founded upon the teachings of the gospels or on the shifting sands of worldly things? Have we given God all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths?

O Lord, help us to put your words into action.

Amen.