“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit;for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks. “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you?
I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us, in a poetic and vivid way, that our actions truly speak louder than words. Actions stemming from a love of Christ manifest as a love of neighbor. The way we interact with our relatives, the way we treat people we disagree with online, the way we talk about people or groups who are different from us--all of these are the actions that are a response to Jesus’ commands.
We are more likely to listen to, and act like, those with whom we surround ourselves. This certainly includes the people we choose to be in relationship with, but it also includes our relationship with Christ. As we spend time in prayer, listening to God’s word, the messages of Jesus become more ingrained into our way of thinking and our way of being. This makes it easier to act as Jesus calls us to act.
The question for us today is not “how am I being called to speak today?” but “how am I being called to live as Jesus’ disciple?”.
—The Jesuit Prayer team
Lord, as we listen to your words, help us to speak and act as you command. Let our love of you manifest itself in the love of our neighbor. Help us to deepen our relationship with you so that we can follow your words more easily. Amen.
—The Jesuit Prayer team
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Ignatian spirituality reminds us that God pursues us in the routines of our home and work life, and in the hopes and fears of life's challenges. The founder of the Jesuits, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, created the Spiritual Exercises to deepen our relationship with Christ and to move our contemplation into service. May this prayer site anchor your day and strengthen your resolve to remember what truly matters.
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