December 2, Thursday, First Week of Advent
Daily Readings: Isaiah 26:1-6; Psalm: 118:1 and 8-9, 19-21, 25-27 & Matthew 7:21, 24-27
The readings told us in one way or another to be open, receptive, ready to hear, see, and learn, and the Lord will come and do new things in us.
In the First Reading, Isaiah sang the encouraging song in today's first reading to trust the Lord and listen to the Lord who is everlasting Rock.
Today Gospel passage is a very familiar one. Once again, Jesus is preaching about the Kingdom of heaven. He tells his listeners that any person who attends to His words and then acts on His words will build their house on the foundation of "rock." Jesus says very boldly: "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).
Crying out to the Lord from our need is not enough. We have to do something, too; we have to show some evidence of goodwill; we have to make some effort. The practical implementation of the Lord's words, the proof of our goodwill in the way we treat the neighbor, the poor, and the suffering—this is unique.
Listening challenges us as we are asked to give attention to another. Hearing the message invites a response, an inner change, not just an outer one. Putting God's word into practice provides a solid foundation in life that can stand against any challenge. Failure to do that leads to short-term decisions, the results of which crumble easily. The Lord is a solid center that we can build our life on. If we are faithful to the Lord, the Lord is faithful to us.
How does my relationship with the Lord influence my decisions and ask for the Lord's help with it? I am invited to listen to the Lord and the different ways the Lord speaks to me.
The message is – speak, Lord, your servant is listening, not listen, Lord, your servant is speaking.
However, Jesus also wants us to listen to Him. He desires that we truly attend to what He is saying. Today Jesus will invite you (and me) to "listen attentively with the ear of your heart." Will we take the time and give Him the attention He desires?
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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