Cầu nguyện mà không hành động thì sẽ cũng chỉ bằng không, và như thế, đức tin của chúng ta chẳng khác gì một ngôi nhà xây trên cát, có nền nhưng không có móng nền vững chắc. Những thử thách mà các môn đệ của Chúa đã thực sự phải thử nghiệm là thực hiện những gì mà Chúa nói với chúng ta phải làm hôm nay. Điều này có nghĩa là những gì đã tiếp xúc với lòng trí của chúng ta thì sẽ được in sâu, và được đóng ấn trong trái tim của chúng ta và sẽ đưa chúng ta tới sự hành động, bởi vì chúng ta tin rằng, chúng ta đang làm theo ý muốn của Thiên Chúa.
Mỗi việc tốt mà chúng ta làm, mỗi lời mà chúng ta đáp trả tiếng mời gọi của Thiên Chúa sẽ biến đổi chúng ta và có thể biến đổi luôn cả những người đã nhận những hành động tốt của chúng ta, để chúng ta sẽ có một cuộc sống thánh thiện và đạo đức hơn.
Tiếp tục lắng nghe và làm theo ý của Thiên Chúa sẽ trở thành một thói quen sẽ giúp củng cố nền tảng đức tin của chúng ta thêm vững chắc hơn. Nếu chúng ta làm được như thế, thì không có một bối cảnh bên ngoài nào, hay bất cứ một thử thách nào có đủ sức mạnh để xồ đổ làm xập được cái nền tảng đức tin của chúng ta. Vì nền tảng đức tin của chúng ta được xây dựng trên chính con người của Chúa Giêsu. Niềm vui lớn nhất của chúng ta là những ước muốn, nguyện vọng là được nhìn thấy Thiên Chúa mặt đối mặt trong ngày phán xét. Chắc chắn chúng ta sẽ muốn nghe Chúa nói với chúng ta, "Tốt lắm! Tôi tớ lương hảo và trung tín. Trong việc nhỏ mà ngươi đã trung tín thì ta sẽ đặt ngươi cai quản trong việc lớn; hãy vào hưởng hoan lạc cùng với chủ ngươi “ (Matt5:21)
Prayer without action will not strengthen the foundation of our faith and will be like a house built on sand. The true test of discipleship is executing what we hear the Lord telling us to do. This means that what touches our mind is imprinted in our hearts and this moves us to action as we believe that we are doing God's will. Each good that we do, each call of God that we answer, transforms us and, possibly the recipient of our good deed, to a life of holiness and Godliness. Continuously listening and doing God's will become a habit and will strengthen our faith foundation. No external circumstance, no trial will be strong enough to collapse our "rock" of faith. Our faith foundation is built on the person of Jesus. The greatest joy we should aspire for us to see God face to face at the end of time. Wouldn't we want to hear the Lord tell us, "Well done, good and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." (Matthew 25:21)?
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21
It’s frightening to think of those of whom Jesus is speaking. Imagine arriving before the throne of God upon your passing from this earthly life and you cry out to Him, “Lord, Lord!” And you expect Him to smile and welcome you, but instead you come face-to-face with the reality of your ongoing and obstinate disobedience to the will of God throughout your life. You suddenly realize that you acted as if you were a Christian, but it was only an act. And now, on the day of judgment, the truth is made manifest for you and for all to see. A truly frightening scenario.
To whom will this happen? Of course, only our Lord knows. He is the one and only Just Judge. He and He alone knows a person’s heart, and judgment is left only to Him. But the fact that Jesus told us that “Not everyone” who expects to enter Heaven will enter should grab our attention.
Ideally, our lives are directed by a deep and pure love of God, and it is this love and this love alone that directs our lives. But when a pure love of God is not clearly present, then the next best thing may be a holy fear. The words spoken by Jesus should evoke this “holy fear” within each of us.
By “holy,” we mean that there is a certain fear that can motivate us to change our lives in an authentic way. It’s possible that we fool others, and maybe even fool ourselves, but we cannot fool God. God sees and knows all things, and He knows the answer to the one and only question that matters on the day of judgment: “Did I fulfill the will of the Father in Heaven?”
A common practice, recommended over and over by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, is to consider all our current decisions and actions from the point of view of the day of judgment. What would I wish I had done in that moment? The answer to that question is of essential importance to the way we live our lives today.
Reflect, today, upon that important question in your own life. “Am I fulfilling the will of the Father in Heaven?” What will I wish I had done, here and now, as I stand before the judgment seat of Christ? Whatever comes to mind, spend time with that and strive to deepen your resolve to whatever God reveals to you. Do not hesitate. Do not wait. Prepare now so that the day of Judgment will also be a day of exceeding joy and glory!
My saving God, I pray for insight into my life. Help me to see my life and all of my actions in the light of Your will and Your Truth. My loving Father, I desire to live fully in accord with Your perfect will. Give me the grace I need to amend my life so that the day of judgment is a day of the greatest glory. Jesus, I trust in You.
1. “Lord, Lord!”: The road to perdition is paved with good intentions. Verse 21 conjures up the image of a poor fellow shut out of heaven’s gate, and afterward shouting “Lord, Lord!” I imagine him continuing,“But I tried my best!” Good intentions are not enough. Truly, our good intentions, even our best intentions, alone cannot save us. If not these, then what? By Christ’s merits we are saved. All we have to do is “listen to these words of mine and act on them.” With his teachings about right conduct, which we are free to accept or reject, Christ gives us the reins of our destiny.
Thursday after 1st Sunday Of Advent 2020
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I need your wisdom. Send your Holy Spirit to me
so that I can listen closely to your words today and act on them, according to
your will.
Encountering Christ:
1. “Lord, Lord!”: The road to perdition is paved with good intentions.
Verse 21 conjures up the image of a poor fellow shut out of heaven’s gate, and
afterward shouting “Lord, Lord!” I imagine him continuing,“But I tried my
best!” Good intentions are not enough. Truly, our good intentions, even our
best intentions, alone cannot save us. If not these, then what? By Christ’s
merits we are saved. All we have to do is “listen to these words of mine and
act on them.” With his teachings about right conduct, which we are free to
accept or reject, Christ gives us the reins of our destiny.
2. Listen and Act: This Gospel passage comes at the end of the three
chapters bursting with radical Christian teachings known as the Sermon on the
Mount. Since St. Matthew has placed this exhortation to listen to “these words
of mine” precisely here, we can say by extension that we are to listen to all
that Christ says to us—in the Scriptures, in our prayer, in the liturgy. And
after listening, we are to act. These are the two pillars of the Christian
life—contemplation and charitable actions. Unfortunately, omitting one of the
two (or emphasizing one at the expense of the other) sometimes happens to the
best of us, and we can lose our way like those who build houses on sand. Let’s
remember that Christ invites us to be like a wise man who values prayer and
action, who both hearkens and helps.
3. The Buffetting of the House: We human beings are notoriously frail at holding on to
the good; this has been manifest since Original Sin, and our moral integrity
has been buffeted by winds and storms ever since. But this sad truth is like a
locked door whose key is Christmas. Christ came to earth to be our Savior! Once
we realize that we are insufficient for our own salvation, the arrival of the
Christ-child can be recognized as the joyous transforming event that it is.
Without him, human history would have “collapsed and been completely ruined.”
With him, it is “set solidly on rock.”
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I shudder to think of the possibility of a
complete collapse—of my life in ruins. The wind and the rain frighten me!
That’s why I call out your merciful name, “Lord, Lord,” when I feel
overwhelmed. You turn your loving gaze on me, giving me the strength to drink
in your words and put them into practice. Suddenly, fear is replaced with
confidence as I remember that you are my Savior leading me on the path of
wisdom.
Resolution: Lord,
today by your grace I will spend five extra minutes reflecting on your words in
the Gospel and ask for inspiration to act according to your will.
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