Mt 7:21, 24-27
[Jesus said to his disciples,] 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.
24“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.25The 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. 26And 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. 27The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
Reflection:
Not everyone who says “Lord, Lord.” Our parents sealed their love with simple words: “I do.” I, too, made my commitment to the priesthood with three words: “Here I am.” Words are our only assurance sometimes and our only guarantee. An old Filipino adage goes: “You have but one tongue, have but one word!”
When I was younger and promised things without keeping them, a friend told me, “Of the ten things you say, eleven are not true!” A child I know does not fear his mother, even though she keeps threatening him that she will throw him out of the window. He knows his mom does not mean it.
God created the earth with his word: “Let there be light” (Gn 1:3). “In the beginning was the Word… and the Word became flesh” (Jn 1:1, 14). Be true to your words, for the Lord has been true to his. He will never leave us, as he said. He awaits our word, too.
Speak no word today at home; use sign language.