December 7, 2017
Today’s 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.’”
Your marriage is much like the house in the Gospel today. If you want your marriage to stand the test of time and thrive, you must do the will of the Father and act on the plan that He has for us and for marriage. The goal of marriage is to help get one another to heaven. Your marriage is not about living out your own idea of marriage or your own will, but rather walking in the Father’s will. The key to a strong foundation in marriage is to listen and act on God’s plan for marriage.
Ponder Together: During Advent, our call to do His will and act on His Word is part of preparing for the coming of Jesus. It is not enough to believe in Him and call Him Lord, we must also do His will and act on his word. This is the recipe for a strong foundation, a healthy marriage, and entry into the Kingdom of heaven.
Pray Together: O Lord our God, strengthen our faith so that we may grow to trust your plan for our marriage. Help us to take the steps to build our foundation on the true Rock. Help us to not only listen to Your Word, but to act on it. May we never justify our sins, compromise on the truth, or hesitate to follow You. Help us to live out the truth of who we are and what You have called us to. Amen.
Plan Together: The person of faith will not live a life free of storms. Just because we believe in Jesus does not make trials and hardships go away. Storms are going to come whether we like it or not. The question is: when the storms come, will you be left standing solidly on a rock or in ruin? While God does not excuse us from storms, he does empower us to live God’s will in our marriages.
Where are you struggling with living out God’s will in your lives? Is there a sin that you have called okay? Is there a particular Church teaching on marriage and family life that you find too difficult to understand or to live out? Is there a fear or lack of trust in God that is preventing you from turning to God and trusting Him with everything? Where do you find it hard to listen and act?
Once you can identify what it is, go to Jesus and ask Him for the grace, knowledge, wisdom, courage, and strength to do what He has called you to do. In this way, you can become all that He has called you to be as His child and as a spouse.
