1st Week of Advent
07th December 2023 (Thursday) Readings and Reflection
Psalter: Week 1
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Isaiah 26:1-6
In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord for ever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. For he has humbled the inhabitants of the height, the lofty city. He lays it low, lays it low to the ground, casts it to the dust. The foot tramples it, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy.”
Psalm 118:1 and 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a (R. 26a)
R/. Blest is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Alleluia
V/. Alleluia R/. Alleluia
V/. Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.
R/. Alleluia
Gospel : Matthew 7:21, 24-27
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Highlight: Not only say but also do!
Guidlines: Worldly things and interests alone do not make life happy and fulfilled. It is only trust in God and living a God-centred life that gives meaning and beauty to life{alertSuccess}
1. The present world seems to be more of a “wordy” world. This means that it indulges more in words and engages less in actions. It tries to allure or deceive by great words but does little to follow those words. Words often do not translate themselves into actions. People know and say many words but they do not practice them. Talk is big but living is little.
2. Thus often there is so much contradiction between words and the corresponding actions. This is very evident in the case of the politicians. They make tall promises but bother little to implement them.
3. Consequently, a lot of deceptivity and dichotomy rules the life. It is this gap between words and actions that Jesus points to in today’s gospel. He states clearly: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven”.
4. Those who ensure words become deeds, those who live what they believe, and those who practise what they profess are really wise. They are like that wise man who builds his house on the rock. Whatever be the adverse situations like rain, floods and wind, nothing can make it fall, because it is founded on a rock.
5. But those who live dichotomous lives where great words do not correspond to good actions are like that foolish man who builds his house on sand. Any unfavourable experience would easily cause his fall.
6. Therefore, be wise. Trust in God. Trust in Him as the one who “sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. Trust in Him forever for He is an everlasting rock. Trust Him who would keep them in perfect peace whose minds are stayed on Him”.
7. Be wise not to give excessive importance to the earthly and worldly, but rather give priority to God and spiritual concerns and the demands of kindness.
Practice: Let us become wise to foster an integral life that makes a harmonious blend of good words and good actions. Let us not be mere hearers of the word of God but doers of it as well{alertSuccess}