In the Walk towards the knowledge and acceptance of Christ: Year A

9th SUNDAY – A: (Deut 11:18, 26-28,32; Rom 3:21-25a,28; Math 27:21-27)
Theme: Let us build the mobile and living house in our walk of faith
Reflection:
- We are still in the discourse on the mountain but at the ending part.
- The discourse which begins with the beatitudes to be new way of the Christian and continues with the perfection of the old law and commission of the new law and finally ends with the assurance of God’s presence and his power for those who seek him and his kingdom.
- As the part of this context we have today the true and authentic follower who builds his house on the rock of the Lord, that is, Jesus Himself.
First Reading:
- Context of the reading is people are in walk towards the promised land
- God gives them his words as their nutrition his words on their journey
- It is Moses, the law giver of the Old Testament, who admonishes the people of Israel to take into heart the words of God and not to ignore them.
- The only way to be chosen and the only road to follow in the journey is observance the commandments of God.
- Proper blessing or proper curse depends on the proper living of the words of God.
- Opening the hearts to listen to the word and opening the hands to put it in practice.
Psalm: we have the fortified rock of refuge in which we can have our permanent and un-faltering tent.
Second Reading:
- Man is justified faith independently of the law: though this Pauline thinking led astray the fellow brethren who reject everything else except God’s justification by the faith alone, never is his intention to keep faith away from the actions. The one who separated themselves from the Church do say that our actions or our good deeds do not merit any benefit of salvation and it’s only the gift of pure grace of God. This keeps the faith and good works separated which is, in return, is not a and not to be the way of a real disciple of Christ who has earned the salvation of man by his Paschal event, not just Paschal word.
- Paul’s theology is not to create any of such confusions. He himself is very much aware that Christ has perfected and fulfilled the old law and through his deeds and good works has manifested the love of God for the man. One has to imitate him not only in faith but in life which is the testimony of the practice of God’s words.
- But this faith has to be lived by the good action. Faith is principle element in deed, and the deeds of goodness are all the more important and they are to be added to the faith, as the heart is covered by the body.
Gospel:
- Jesus distinguishes the real prayer from that of just calling the name of God: “not who call me Lord, Lord who enter the kingdom of God but the one who listens and does the will of my Father in heaven”.
- Calling name of God or just making some prayers are the useless practices of faith and by this one uses His name in vain and God’s command is: “Do not use my name in vain”.
- All the words we use or just using the lips keeping the mind and hearts away will always create our own judgment for God will one day say: “these people praise me with their lips but their hearts are far away.”
- Not that we have to keep the prayer away to do all the good works but there should be the connection between the heart and the hands, between the words and the deeds. We cannot stop with the first ones and say that we have lived our faith because the faith in God is not just a word but an action.
- The one who listens and practices the will of God is like a wise man who builds his house: here three important elements are dealt with:
o Wise man: the wisdom is not human; it is always divine and spiritual; Intelligence is human on the other hand; Therefore, the one who listens and practices the Word of God, that is Christ, is in the condition of participating in the very life of God because wisdom belongs to God alone.
o Has the house but built on a rock: Just having the house is not enough; anyone can build house; where it is built and how it is built is that matters; We are the houses in which God dwells (your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit: thus says St. Paul). We are built on a Rock of God that is Jesus Christ, who is the corner stone of the foundation.
o On the Church: Jesus tells to Peter: “you are the rock on which I build my house”. The Church is built on the rock (the faith) of Peter. This means that the wise man builds his house on the rock of St. Peter, that is, the Church.
- Finally this house of faith which is built on the rock of Christ will not flatter though the rain of problems and difficulties fall, though the storms of doubts and human weakness flow and though the winds of temptations and the attractions of the world blow, the house (or the Church) does not fall because it is build on the firm rock of Christ.

We are the house which is living and moving. We are fixed people at one place but we are on the move towards the communion in Christ. Therefore, each one of has to be the moving house into which all can enter and take the place of fraternal love.