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(Dt.11:18,26-28,32;\xa0\xa0 Ps.31:1-4,17,25;\xa0\xa0 Rom.3:21-25,28;\xa0\xa0 Mt.7:21-27)\n\xa0\n\u201cTake these words of mine into your heart and soul.\u201d\n\xa0\nOur first reading and gospel are virtually identical today.\xa0 In one, Moses tells the Israelites: \u201cI set before you here, this day, a blessing and a curse\u201d; in the other, Jesus tells His disciples a parable of the same blessing and curse.\xa0 Moses speaks of the \u201cblessing for obeying the commandments of the Lord\u201d and the \u201ccurse if [the Israelites] do not obey the commandments of the Lord\u201d; and Jesus states clearly, \u201cEveryone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock\u2026 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.\u201d\xa0 The blessing and the curse \u2013 following the Word of God and not following the Word of God.\nAnd we must note that there are two parts to be fulfilled to obtain the blessing of the Lord.\xa0 In Jesus\u2019 words, we must both \u201clisten\u201d and \u201cact.\u201d\xa0 And though it seems Moses stresses acting in his call for obedience, it is his words that are quoted above \u2013 and what is it to take words into our heart and soul but to listen?\xa0 The Lord must first dwell in us.\xa0 As St. Paul conveys so beautifully, we \u201care justified freely by [the Lord\u2019s] grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God sent forth as an expiation, through faith, by His blood,\u201d and therefore we must listen to this grace and open ourselves always to this grace at work in our hearts.\xa0 And then we must act upon it.\xa0 We must hear God speaking to us and do His will.\xa0 It does no good only to sit and listen, for then our faith will soon die.\xa0 Nor does it do any good to act without listening to God, for then we are as an empty gong.\xa0 The faith we profess must be realized in the works of the Lord; without either faith or works we have nothing at all, and find but the Lord\u2019s curse.\nBrothers and sisters, today let us call out to God with our brother David: \u201cBe my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety.\u201d\xa0 Let us \u201ctake courage and be stouthearted, all [we] who hope in the Lord.\u201d\xa0 For if we take His words to heart and if we do the will of God, we will be \u201cset solidly on rock.\u201d\xa0 Indeed it shall be said one day, \u201cThe rains fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.\u201d\xa0 All houses shall be touched thus by the hand of God.\xa0 Let it be said of our house that it \u201cdid not collapse,\u201d but \u2013 taking our strength in the Lord, dwelling in His Word \u2013 like a \u201cfortress\u201d stood ever in the blessing of His light.\n\xa0\xa0\nWritten, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt.\n\xa0\xa0\nMusic: "Solid Rock, Unshakable Foundation" from The Innocent Heart, first album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt.