The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/091215.cfm) reminds me that we should act upon God's word.
Faith without works is dead. This is true. Faith is not enough. Love is not enough. IT should be lived. It should be realized and actualized. We cannot say we have faith in God, but act as if everything depended on our actions, worrying about a lot of things and being negative of everything. We cannot say we love God but treat others bad, especially those who are mean to us.
in the gospel, Jesus tells us how to have a strong foundation, like a man building his house on a rock. We should not just listen, but more importantly, act upon God's word. A foolish man merely listens.
It is wise to act upon God's word.
It is easy to know what God wants. There are a lot of online resources that tell us how God wants us to live. Priests and preachers have videos and podcasts to make it easy for us to know God's word and messages. It is very easy to know these things, but the more important part is always the hardest. More than just listening and knowing these, God wants us to act upon these. What do we do with these things? Do we live them and allow God to transform us, or do we just listen to them.
God can only work in us and through us if we act.
God cannot use you if you will not move. God cannot bless others with your presence if you will just stay in your room. God wants us to act because he wants to bless us and bless others. IT is wise to act because if we act, we get blessed and others get blessed through us. And if we continuously allow God to act through us, we slowly get changed and transformed to be more and more like him, thus we are preparing our place in heaven for eternity. That is being wise.
May we be inspired not just to listen and know God's word, but more importantly, to act upon it.
Father God,
thank you for today. Thank you for another weekend. Thank you for the reminder. Thank you for reminding me how important and wise it is to act upon your word. Sorry for the times i stop at merely listening. Sorry for the times i get contented with knowing you more, with learning things about you, but forget to act upon it. Sorry for the times i do not live my faith and love for you. Sorry for the times i do not allow you to use me to be a blessing to others. Help me have a surrendered and humble heart. Help me to be wise and act upon your word. As i try to do so, use me and my actions to bless others. Amen.
Blessed weekend!
In Christ,
-g-
ps
see related reflections:
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Saturday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 442
Lectionary: 442
Reading 1 1 Tm 1:15-17
Beloved:
This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Of these I am the foremost.
But for that reason I was mercifully treated,
so that in me, as the foremost,
Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example
for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life.
To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God,
honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Of these I am the foremost.
But for that reason I was mercifully treated,
so that in me, as the foremost,
Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example
for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life.
To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God,
honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Responsorial Psalm PS 113:1b-2, 3-4, 5 and 6-7
R. (2) Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
Who is like the LORD, our God,
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
He raises up the lowly from the dust;
from the dunghill he lifts up the poor.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
Who is like the LORD, our God,
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
He raises up the lowly from the dust;
from the dunghill he lifts up the poor.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
Alleluia Jn 14:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whover loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whover loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Lk 6:43-49
Jesus said to his disciples:
“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit,
nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.
For every tree is known by its own fruit.
For people do not pick figs from thornbushes,
nor do they gather grapes from brambles.
A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,
but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil;
for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.
“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
“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit,
nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.
For every tree is known by its own fruit.
For people do not pick figs from thornbushes,
nor do they gather grapes from brambles.
A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,
but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil;
for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.
“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
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