Daily Gospel Reflection
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June 25, 2020
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. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’
“Everyone then who hears 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 beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock.
“And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!”
Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
I’ve often heard it said that our beliefs shape our behavior. If we want to know what we truly believe, we only need to examine our actions. We all have a set of assumed beliefs; what we think we believe. Then we have our real beliefs, which are revealed in our behaviors. Of course, we claim to respect others, but do we really treat everyone like they matter?
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus offers a provocative statement that sharpens the discussion about who is truly a follower. Not everyone who says Jesus is the risen Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who do the will of God will be permitted entry. In other words, faith without works is dead. For Jesus, how we actually live our life demonstrates whether or not we are truly his followers.
But the Good News is that Jesus gives us the blueprint for how to live a life of faith and how to gain eternal life. He tells us we must build a house of rock, not a house of sand. A house of rock will not only protect us during the storms of life but will give us the foundation and strength to be a true disciple. Jesus’ prescription is not for the faint hearted. Hearing what Jesus says to us is not something we do once and then check it off our list. We must keep listening all our lives, learning more and more about how we are supposed to live. We have our Baptismal promises, we have the Commandments, and we have the words and actions of Jesus. What Jesus is telling us today is that we need to be faithful. We need to examine our motives and make sure that what we do and say fits with the life Jesus asks us to live.
Prayer
Lord God, your Son Jesus Christ teaches us that each of our days on earth holds a new opportunity to discover the treasures of your eternal kingdom. Each day opens up for us the opportunity to find deeper meaning and insight flowing from his Word and his way of life. Help us, O God, to comprehend this holy wisdom in the manner of one who chooses to build his house on rock. The rock of course, is Christ—this we believe. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Eurosia is a local saint of Jaca, a Spanish town in the Pyrenees. Devotion to St. Eurosia has always centered around Jaca, but spread into northern Italy during the Middle Ages. As the Italian painting of her to the left demonstrates, place has always played an important part of Eruosia's images.
Eurosia's date of birth is unknown; different legends cite the date of death from anywhere from the early eighth century to the late ninth century.
Eurosia's cult developed at a time of great animosity in northern Spain towards the southern, Muslim half of Spain. Eurosia was believed to have been either a French or Bohemian princess who was promised in marriage to a nobleman from the south.
Eurosia did not wish to marry, particularly did not want to marry a non-Christian, but rather wished to live her life in devotion to God. She ran away from her husband, and escaped into the Pyrenees.
She was pursued and caught, but Eurosia invoked the help of heaven and a lightning bolt struck some of her captors. Eurosia was quickly executed, her limbs cut off, and beheaded.
Devotion to Eurosia grew when a shepherd discovered her relics in the eleventh century. As Jaca was a stop on the wildly popular Camino de Santiago, Eurosia grew in popularity, due to the steady stream of pilgrims visiting her relics. Perhaps it was due to pilgrims seeking spiritual healing or restoration that she became the patron intercessor of those experiencing demonic possession. Pope Leo XIII affirmed her cult in 1902.
St. Eurosia, intercessor for those who suffer from demonic possession—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Eurosia is in the public domain. Last accessed March 6, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
