The first reading describes the takeover of Jerusalem, transitions in ‘leadership’, and the extreme chaos of the environment.
The psalm for the day asks for our Lord to deliver us.
In the Gospel, Matthew describes the astonishment of the crowds as Jesus spoke with authority. He reminded them that not everyone who calls to the Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, only those who do the will of the Father.
The following well known words of Jesus apply today:
“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.”
I liken this to the weather warnings we hear over and over again, particularly this time of the year in the middle of the United States. We know what to do. We have advanced warnings provided by extremely sophisticated technology. Many times we choose to ignore those warnings because we don’t want to be inconvenienced. How often do we actually take inventory, prepare and make sure we have everything we may need in the event of disaster? How often do we live as the fool who built on sand? The fool may have had his head buried in the proverbial sand.
We can take time daily at least to listen to the words of God, and to act on them. We can take time to LIVE the gospel, for this is the will of the Father. By doing so, our house will be a strong, safe refuge. The rains may fall, the winds may blow, but in times of trouble, our home will not collapse. We will have refuge in the Lord.
If you are a news junkie like me, it may take a bit of work, but we can remember these words when listening to the weather reports and planning our activities. We can do it daily. Our foundation will be like rock. We will have strength, and refuge in the storm.
Angela Maynard
I worked at Creighton from 2008-2022. I had a wonderful time managing the student health center until it was outsourced to CHI in 2019. After that I played a key role in the university’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The best part of my work was that I had the privilege to walk with students as they managed health issues during their time as a Creighton student. I cannot articulate the joy these relationships brought.
I know God is always with me and I’m always on the lookout for the signs he sends my way to reassure me of His love and presence. I look forward to the opportunity to participate in the ministry of Daily Reflections. Intentional reflection time has helped me keep God as my center as I really try to live the Gospel. This is a wonderful opportunity for me. I pray the Holy Spirit guides me in my reflecting.
