A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 7:21-29

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. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?" Then I will declare to them solemnly, ' I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'

"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 mind 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."

When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

The Gospel of the Lord. Praise be to you Lord Jesus Christ.

REFLECTION: …The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew

In Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

' There is an appointed time for everything.....'

Imagine being told that you were destined to lose your strength, your independence and eventually your mind.

'A time to give birth and a time to die...' Imagine losing your mother a few days before giving birth to her third grandchild.

'A time to mourn and a time to dance....'

Imagine having a stroke a few days after the birth of your baby.

The rains fell, the floods came and the winds blew on all the above people. They all had dreams, they all had lives that touched with love , and they all walked with God.

God has a plan for all of us. God had a plan for the 3 ladies above. They followed his will and accepted the rain, the floods and the winds that were going to be a part of their lives. How heroically they took up their crosses and how never once did they complain nor say "why me?" Oh, yes, they cried, but...….

"There was a holiness about their tears. Each one was a prayer that only God could understand." (Kathe Wunnenburg)

They had built their souls on God's word. They relied on His love and they carried their crosses with a smile. Their homes would never collapse because their foundation was solid. May we find God's will for us in the rains, and the floods and the winds that daily buffet our lives.

Prayer: Dear Lord, you are so good to us. How can we ever repay you --we are nothing--and as our patron St John Vianney said, "When tempted to despair, I have only one resource: to throw myself at the foot of the tabernacle like a little dog at the foot of his master." Amen

God Bless

Pray for priests daily

PAPAfoundation.net