Reflection for Thursday December 7, Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church: Matthew 7:21, 24-27

Gospel: Matthew 7:21, 24-27

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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Reflection:

The story is told about an old man who was always at church, he attends Mass, and he was always present during novena prayers. However, he also had a domineering attitude, he thinks highly of himself and he treats everyone in the church as someone who is not within his level.

After a few years he died, therefore, he was expecting a smooth passage to heaven but he was not allowed to enter the pearly gates. So he asked: “Why are you not allowing me to gain entry to heaven, I was always at church leading the novena prayers, I was always at Mass!” The one on the gate replied: “Yes you were always in the church but you did not change your ways, it was all for show.”

Like the old man, there are many who are active in the church, but they refuse to let go of their boorish behavior. They think highly of themselves simply because they are active in the church, rich, and educated. Oftentimes, they carry these domineering behaviors into their homes and workplaces.

Could they gain entry into heaven with this behavior? Can they be compared to the wise man in the gospel who built his house upon a sturdy rock? Not certainly, to be like the wise man who built his house on a solid rock they need to walk their talk, they need to be humble and they need to live what they preach.

In the gospel, Jesus said to his disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only th does the will of my Father in heaven (Matthew 7:21).” – Marino J. Dasmarinas