Twenty-Third Saturday of Ordinary Time

Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.

There is a world of difference between listening and acting. We can listen to God through scriptures, homilies, other people, and even our own consciences, but if we do not act on these messages, then we choose to ignore God in favor of something else. The Word of God is constantly being spoken to us, but it is easy for us to disregard it as we are exposed to the siren's call of the world: money, power, sex, and other earthly things constantly clamor for our attention and for our actions. If we want to be a follower of Christ, then we have to choose to close our eyes, ears, and hearts to these things and instead focus on the Father's commandments, Jesus' teachings, and the Holy Spirit's inspirations. By doing so, we will be able to not only listen to the truth, but act upon it in faith, hope, and charity. Instead of our wills being at the center of our words and deeds, it shall be God's Will speaking and working through us.

What worldly things are distracting us from doing God's Will? How can we build our lives on the solid foundation of God's Will, rather than on our own? How can we dig deeply into our faith so that when we suffer through the storms of life, we shall come through triumphantly?

O Lord, you are our foundation. May we always listen to you and put your word into action.

Amen.