Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“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.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 7:21-29

 

Jesus said to his disciples: "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. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?' Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.' "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The 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. And 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. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined." When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

 

What a scary thought.  Just because I recognize Jesus as my Lord and Savior does not mean I will make it into heaven.  Just because I go to church does not get me through the gates.  Just because I preach the name of God, does not earn me entrance into eternal life.  I can do all these things and still end up spending eternity in hell.  In today’s Gospel, Jesus is quite clear that just recognizing Him as the Messiah or even proclaiming that He is the Messiah is nothing more than a fleeting cry without any solid foundation.  Jesus talks about our final judgment and that it will take more than just a faint cry to God to get into heaven. "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven.” God knows when we are sincere. He knows our inner heart and our inner desires. Jesus tells us that it is simply not enough to cry out, but that we must do the will of our Father in Heaven. Our faith must have a solid footing in our lives and be a fundamental part of who we are and what we do. It must be like the house built upon the rock. That way when Satan rains down upon us and the floods of everyday life overwhelms us, our faith will remain solid. The type of foundation we construct will determine how well we can survive the hard times. Satan throws many things our way trying to divert us from our journey to the narrow gate, yet we have to be strong and face the storm.

 

Are you building your faith and preparing the way for the Truth and the Light? Is your faith rock solid or are you treading on shifting sands? We cannot wait until our judgment day to call out to our Lord for Salvation. A house built on the foundation of the rock of our faith will not be destroyed. We will have the strength to defend ourselves against evil. However, a faith built upon a weak foundation will topple in the storm. It will be easy for Satan to defeat us and pull us into his ways.  How many times have we had to face hardships trials or situations which tried the fabric of our faith? As young adults, your peers try to pressure you into situations which you know are wrong, but with a strong faith you can weather the storm. We are constantly bombarded with advertising, TV Shows and media which challenges the moral fiber of our Faith. TV programs and mass media which show adultery and sin with no consequence and glorify these actions tear away at the very foundation of your faith. We are judged by our actions, by our words and by our choices. Going to church on Sunday is just a seed.  We must grow that seed into a plant which bears fruit.  We must learn to make good choices if we are to stay of the narrow path which leads to gates of heaven.  These choices are learned actions which must be exercised daily through the teachings of Christ. Listen to His Words because “he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” will make it through the gate.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord Christ, builder of my faith.

Help me build a solid foundation on your rock.

I am weak and you are strong, with your help my foundation can also be strong.

Give me the wisdom and strength to form myself to your will.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon