Thursday of 12th Week, even numbered year

« When that day comes, many will say to me ’Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name ? » Then I shall tell them to their faces : ’I have never known you ; away from me, all evil doers !« Jesus’ teaching made a deep impression on the people, because he taught them with authority, unlike their own scribes. »

Jesus declares :’It’s not enough to say ’Lord ! Lord !’

This declaration requires us to take on our Christian condition.We need to feel how urgent it is to bear witness to our faith.

When at this very hard moment Jesus says’ Father, not my will, but yours.’ Jesus experiences how hard it is for us in dark faith to give ourselves over to another in total confidence.

The whole work of Jesus is to accomplish the Will of the Father : ’So that the world may be saved !’

The reason Jesus came into our human flesh is for this possibility of determination of our own will to the Will of the Father so as to become the cherished and confident child of his Heart.

We can indeed do marvellous, great works, but they are only worthwhile if they enter into God’s Infinitely Loving Plan. Indeed, the angel of light can turn into an angel of darkness and lead us into illusion as we accomplish our own will.

It is not God’s work that comes about : ’And so I declare to you ’I never knew you ; go far away from me, you who do evil !’

There is here for us a powerful teaching that leans upon the experience that we have of the Love of Jesus !

.« Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck the house, and it did not fall : it was founded on rock. »

The Rock is Christ who is given to us in His Passion and in His Resurrection. He confronted ’the own will’ of the man who was a slave of the liar, the forces of death which undermine the Father’s work of Love so as to deliver them.

It is the great work of the Cross which has saved us and which has us hold out : ’Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled them against that house and it did not fall, it was founded on the Rock."

Christ held out, faithful to the will of Love of the Heart of our Father. We ae this house which didn’t fall, we remain founded on the Rock.

The clarity of the message united to the strength of charity, manifests Jesus’ authority, which surprised people around him.

Our prayer today and our contemplation must be accompanied by a serious reflection. How do I speak and act in my life, how do I put my witness into practice ? How do I translate the command of Love in my life ?

They are neither words nor prayers without any commitment that count, but the effort I make to live according to God’s infinite Love.

« But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house and it fell ; and what a fall it had ! »

The image of building a house on rock is a clear image which invites us to attach a price to our faith commitment. It cannot be limited just to lovely words, but has to be founded upon the authority of works that are full of charity.

All that we do must be full of the Love of God. However lovely our attitude might be, it has no merit nor value without charity.

Purity without love is like a lamp without any oil. How lovely is this wisdom united to Love ! It is the Love the Apostle speaks to us about, the Love coming from a pure heart, straight conscience and a sincere faith. It is by His Passion, the experience of the gift of oneself for us, and for the glorification of the Father that Jesu teaches us. We want to place ourselves at his school.