June 27, 2024
St. Cyril of Alexandria
Listening and Acting
Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
Matthew 7:24

Perhaps we’ve witnessed the sight of a beach house teetering on the edge of a cliff, as the earth erodes and threatens its stability, followed by the moment when the entire house collapses into the ocean and is swept away. Or we’ve seen news coverage of a village inundated by fierce rains and unrelenting winds, where fragile foundations cannot withstand a storm’s onslaught.

Jesus reminds us of the importance of grounding our spiritual lives on a strong foundation. What is needed is twofold: deep listening to the Word of God, yes, but a listening that must be coupled with acting on what we hear. With God’s grace, such deep, inner soul work will transform us and change our world.

Loving God, may I both listen to your words and act on them as I go through this day.

- Sr. Chris Koellhoffer, I.H.M.

2 Kings 24:8-17 • Psalm 79:1-5, 8-9 • Matthew 7:21-29
The Chapel on the Rock at Camp St. Malo. (The chapel’s official name is St. Catherine of Siena Chapel.) Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Photo by Jeremy Janus | stock.adobe.com
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Comments

June 29, 2024 at 07:29 AM

Lord please hear our prayers and bring your light to all those experiencing natural disasters, Haiti, the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, Darfur, the Sudan, and all those suffering around the world - also for their strength, courage and resilience to continue walking in faith. Send them your light. Father in Heaven, have mercy on us and on the whole world! You sent Your Son, the Prince of Peace, for the salvation of the world. We pray that the Peace of Christ will reign in Haiti, the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, Darfur and Sudan. Please protect and send aid to those in need and all who are at-risk. We pray for peace and rebuilding– we who are working towards it and for all those who are suffering or in danger from conflicts. We pray for an end to violence and war – we pray for wisdom for all leaders who have a hand in this. Lord God please help those in most need of thy mercy. Amen.

June 27, 2024 at 11:59 PM

LFF, busy day today celebrating my wife’s 72nd trip around the sun. I was lector at morning mass and prayed for my friend who I had angry exchange with 10 days ago. Our group went out to breakfast after mass and I glanced at my phone to see an email from her. All is good but will be better once she gets medical help for a condition she has been dealing with for a while. Thank you all for reminding me to pray when life gets tough. I sometimes forget that when I am up to my neck with alligators, the first objective was to drain the lagoon. Blessings to all, have a good night and wonderful Friday.

June 27, 2024 at 11:05 AM

Another fabulous reflection, Sister Chris. Thank you, thank you!! To my dear LFF family, sorry I haven’t kept up with posting. Crazy days again. Sending prayers and love to all of you and we need to just trust that Our Lord knows our hearts and He loves Everyone, no matter what. We pray, we act, we Love.

June 27, 2024 at 10:56 AM

I know for many years I was guilty of acting but not listening. I was an outward-appearance Christian with little to no internal foundation. I went to church, sang in the choir, and said blessings before meals but there was no listening and growing to match my outward acting. Just as the appearance of a beautiful home built on sand is deceiving I had the outward appearance to others as the man who had everything but I was so lonely and riddled with guilt as I tried to fill my heart with more sand and the empty promises of Satan. That has all changed and I am a new creation built from the heart outward. My inward faith is evident in my outward action.

Salina
June 27, 2024 at 01:44 PM

*** If I can sing, I would :-) I rejoice with you, Rusty, in Luke 15:10, “I (Jesus) tell you, it is the same in heaven. There is joy in heaven over one sinner who turns away from sin.” *** Congratulations, Rusty, you are a new creation in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” *** Remember God’s grace and mercy and follow His good plan for you in Ephesians 2:8-10, “God saved you by His grace when you believed (and repent). And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago!” ✝️✝️✝️

June 27, 2024 at 09:27 AM

AMEN!

June 27, 2024 at 09:20 AM

The Voice Within: " Listen & attend with the ear of your heart." St. Benedict. Not always easy to do but so essential.

June 27, 2024 at 09:11 AM

Reminds me of the story of someone who left the Christmas presents in the basement unopened! *** The Bible, God's Word, is such a gift that sometimes it is jsut for coffee table and not for consumption when we don't think we need it :-( *** Once I texted someone, "You believe in God, but you don't know Jesus!!!" James 1:23-25, "Suppose someone listens to the Word but doesn’t do what it says. Then they are like a person who looks at their face in a mirror. After looking at themselves, they leave. And right away they forget what they look like. But suppose someone takes a good look at the perfect law that gives freedom. And they keep looking at it. Suppose they don’t forget what they’ve heard, but they do what the law says. Then this person will be blessed in what they do!" *** God's Word is critical oxygen for my daily living in Psalm 119:105, "Your Word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a light that guides me!" ******* Romans 10:14-17, "But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ!" *** Word of God Speak by Mercy Me https://youtu.be/W8cJQMU9Q-U?si=ONh7H3OTcrt4JwEp

June 27, 2024 at 08:33 AM

Thank you Sr. Chris, words to reflect on and try hard to live by each day. Sometimes life gets so hectic it's hard to hear his word. Blessings to all the LFF. May Gods words be loud and clear in our lives. May his helping hand guide those in need. May we spread God's love through all the world everyday.

June 27, 2024 at 08:09 AM

Amen.

June 27, 2024 at 03:59 AM

How chilling this devotion is, Sr. Chris. After watching the Minnesota home falling into the Blue Earth River as it overflows the Rapidan Dam on TV yesterday. Praying for the owners who've lived there for over 50 years. And those down river who are also experiencing the results of the flooding waters.

The Chapel on the Rock at Camp St. Malo. (The chapel’s official name is St. Catherine of Siena Chapel.) Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Photo by Jeremy Janus | stock.adobe.com
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