“You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do.”

“We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.” – Brother Lawrence (1614 – 1691: French Discalced Carmelite)

Gospel Text: (Mt 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.”

There is a Broadway Musical that has a song that echoes the message of today’s gospel. The words of the song are, ‘words, words, words I’m so sick of words. Don’t speak of love, show me, show me now.’

‘Not everyone who says to me  Lord, Lord who will enter the kingdom, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.’(Mt 7:21-22)

Words spoken must be words lived otherwise they are “sounding brass and clanging cymbals”. Love spoken must be loved lived if it is to be true. We can flip the word ‘love’ around so easily that it has lost its meaning and lost its power. The same is true for words like forgive, reconciliation, peace, justice, fairness, respect, inclusive.

There is a saying, ‘Say what you mean and mean what you say.’ Great advice for all of us.