From: Matthew 7:21, 24-27
Doing the Will of God
Building on Rock
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Commentary:
21-23. To be genuine, prayer must be accompanied by a persevering effort to do
God’s will. Similarly, in order to do His will it is not enough to speak about the
things of God: there must be consistency between what one preaches — what
one says — and what one does: “The Kingdom of God does not consist in talk
but in power” (1 Corinthians 4:20); “Be doers of the word, not hearers only, de-
ceiving yourselves” (James 1:22).
Christians, “holding loyally to the Gospel, enriched by its resources, and joining
forces with all who love and practise justice, have shouldered a weighty task on
earth and they must render an account of it to Him who will judge all men on the
last day. Not every one who says ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven,
but those who do the will of the Father, and who manfully put their hands to the
work” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 93).
To enter the Kingdom of Heaven, to be holy, it is not enough, then, to speak elo-
quently about holiness. One has to practise what one preaches, to produce fruit
which accords with one’s words. Fray Luis de Leon puts it very graphically: “No-
tice that to be a good Christian it is not enough just to pray and fast and hear
Mass; God must find you faithful, like another Job or Abraham, in times of tribu-
lation” (”Guide for Sinners”, Book 1, Part 2, Chapter 21).
Even if a person exercises an ecclesiastical ministry that does not assure his ho-
liness; he needs to practice the virtues he preaches. Besides, we know from ex-
perience that any Christian (clerical, religious or lay) who does not strive to act in
accordance with the demands of the faith he professes, begins to weaken in his
faith and eventually parts company also with the teaching of the Church. Anyone
who does not live in accordance with what he says, ends up saying things which
are contrary to faith.
The authority with which Jesus speaks in these verses reveals Him as sovereign
Judge of the living and the dead. No Old Testament prophet ever spoke with this
authority.
22. “That day”: a technical formula in biblical language meaning the day of the
Judgment of the Lord or the Last Judgment.
23. This passage refers to the Judgment where Jesus will be the Judge. The sa-
cred text uses a verb which means the public proclamation of a truth. Since in
this case Jesus Christ is the Judge who makes the declaration, it takes the form
of a judicial sentence.
24-27. These verses constitute the positive side of the previous passage. A per-
son who tries to put Christ’s teaching into practice, even if he experiences per-
sonal difficulties or lives during times of upheaval in the life of the Church or is
surrounded by error, will stay firm in the faith, like the wise man who builds his
house on rock.
Also, if we are to stay strong in times of difficulty, we need, when things are
calm and peaceful, to accept little contradictions with a good grace, to be very
refined in our relationship with God and with others, and to perform the duties of
our state in life in a spirit of loyalty and abnegation. By acting in this way we are
laying down a good foundation, maintaining the edifice of our spiritual life and re-
pairing any cracks which make their appearance.
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
Liturgical Colour: Violet.
| First reading | Isaiah 26:1-6 © |
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| Responsorial Psalm |
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| Psalm 117(118):1,8-9,19-21,25-27 © |
| Gospel Acclamation | Is40:9-10 |
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| Or | Is55:6 |
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| Gospel |
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| Matthew 7:21,24-27 © |