Truly we are passing through disastrous times, when we may well make our own the lamentation of the Prophet: "There is no truth, and there is no mercy, and there is no knowledge of God in the land" (Hosea 4:1). Yet in the midst of this tide of evil, the Virgin Most Merciful rises before our eyes like a rainbow, as the arbiter of peace between God and man.
-- Saint Pope Pius X
Truly we are passing through disastrous times, when we may well make our own the lamentation of the Prophet: "There is no truth, and there is no mercy, and there is no knowledge of God in the land" (Hosea 4:1). Yet in the midst of this tide of evil, the Virgin Most Merciful rises before our eyes like a rainbow, as the arbiter of peace between God and man.
-- Saint Pope Pius X
December 3, 2020
Memorial of Saint
Francis Xavier, Priest
Lectionary: 684
On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah:
“A strong city have we;
he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
Open up the gates
to let in a nation that is just,
one that keeps faith.
A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;
in peace, for its trust in you.
”Trust in the LORD forever!
For the LORD is an eternal Rock.
He humbles those in high places,
and the lofty city he brings down;
He tumbles it to the ground,
levels it with the dust.
It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
by the footsteps of the poor.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (26a) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the
Lord.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This gate is the LORD’s;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Seek the LORD while
he may be found;
call him while he
is near.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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.
“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.”
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Will Obedience Get Us to Heaven?
Catholic teaching, however, acknowledges that a conversion might not be sincere or complete, and that deliberate, terrible sins will turn an unrepentant sinner away from Christ forever (we call such sins "mortal", because they kill the soul).
Knowing this can happen, many good Catholics fear that someday they might choose to turn away from Christ. This leads some to become very scrupulous in obeying every Church law, rule, and norm as an insurance policy.
Salvation is more than knowing who Jesus is. Many know who he is without having faith in him. He is more than a who. Demons know who he is and obey his commands. Obedience alone does not get anyone into heaven.
Jesus is more than an authority we must obey. To know Jesus is to know what he's all about (his purpose, his love, and his life). Salvation is placing our faith in this to such an extent that we want to follow him, doing what he does, changing the world around us, all the way to heaven.
We can believe in Jesus and yet remain in the darkness of sin and eternal death. To have faith in Jesus, we must not only believe that he is God. We must not only believe that he is Savior. We must also believe in everything - oh yes, everything! - that he taught by word and by deed.
We enter the kingdom of heaven by listening to his words and acting upon them. Salvation is more than a statement of belief. It's more than going to Mass and reciting the Creed ("I believe in ..."). It's faith in action. We act the way Jesus acted and we do what Jesus did, because we love him so much that we want others to love him too.
This scripture ends the Sermon on the Mount, which started with Matthew's fifth chapter. Read this entire sermon as an examination of conscience. How well are you are behaving like Christ with the people around you? We let our faith shine, for example, when we love our enemies, and when we forgive others as he forgives us and, as he said earlier in this sermon, when we do more than what is asked of us, going the extra mile - not because he told us to, but because we genuinely care.
Obedience is merely the minimum. To be heralds of hope and flames of light that Christ brings to the world, we have to embrace the way he delivers that hope and light. Going the extra mile is the way we go to the cross with him. And while the cross looks like the antithesis of Christmas, it is sacrifice that opens the door of hope in the hearts of others.
Faith is what motivates to do more than the minimum. If we have faith in Christ, we love as he loves and thus we cannot help but want to do more for others. There is the guarantee of heaven: If we love others in him and through him, of course we will have eternal life with him.
Today's Prayer
Lord, may I always remember Your promises of salvation when I'm in the midst of trials. May my words and my deeds be the fruit of a life full of faith totally founded in You. Amen.
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God Bless You.....
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