Faith is not merely professed; it must also be practiced.

True faith requires both belief and active expression.

A purely intellectual commitment lacks transformative power,

while faith rooted in love naturally manifests through meaningful deeds and obedience.

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

2 Kings 24:8-17

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old

When he succeeded his father, and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem.

His mother was Nehushta, daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.

Jehoiachin treated the Lord badly, as his father had done.

At that time, the officials of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to attack Jerusalem,

surrounding the city. Nebuchadnezzar came while the city was being besieged by his men.

 

Jehoiachin, king of Judah, surrendered, together with his mother, his servants,

his leaders and the palace officials. It was the eighth IN ORDINARY year of he reign of Nebuchadnezzar.

Nebuchadnezzar captured them and he took away

the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king's house.

He also destroyed all the objects of gold which Solomon, king of Israel,

had made for the Sanctuary of the Lord. So the word Yahweh had spoken, was fulfilled.

 

Nebuchadnezzar carried off into exile all the leaders and prominent men,

the blacksmiths and locksmiths, all the men of valor fit for war.

A total of ten thousand were exiled to Babylon. Only the poorest sector

of the population was left. Nebuchadnezzar also carried away Jehoiachin,

with his mother, his wives, the ministers of the palace, and the prominent men of the land.

 

So all the prominent people, numbering seven thousand, the blacksmiths,

numbering a thousand, and all the men fit for war were deported to Babylon by the king of Babylon.

He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king of Jerusalem,

in place of Jehoiachin. And he changed his name to Zedekiah.

 

 

Ps 79:1b-2, 3-5, 8-9

For the glory of your name, 

O Lord, deliver us.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Matthew 7:21-29

Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven,

but the one who does the will of my heavenly Father. Many will say to me on that day,

'Lord, Lord, did we not speak in your name? Did we not cast out devils and perform many miracles

in your name?'Then I will tell them openly, 'I have never known you; away from me, you evil people!'

"Therefore, anyone who hears these words of mine, and acts according to them,

is like a wise man, who built his house on rock. The rain poured down, the rivers flooded,

 

and the wind blew and struck that house. But it did not collapse, because it was built on rock.

But anyone who hears these words of mine, and does not act accordingly,

is like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain poured, the rivers flooded,

and the wind blew and struck that house; it collapsed, and what a terrible collapse that was!"

When Jesus had finished this discourse, the crowds were struck by the way he taught,

because he taught with authority, unlike their teachers of the law.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

Faith is not merely professed; it must also be practiced.

In today's Gospel, Jesus reminds us that faith is more than just words-it must be lived out.

He warns, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven,

but only those who do the will of my Father." Faith is not merely professed;

it must also be practiced. It is not just an assent of the mind; it must be concretely realized

in the lives of the Lord's followers Jesus then presents the image of two builders:

 

the wise and the foolish. The wise man builds his house on rock-following God's Word-while the foolish man

builds on sand, relying solel on words without action. When trials arise,

only the house built in obedience to Christ withstands Our faith is authentic

when it transforms our choices, relationships, and priorities. Let us no merely hear

the Word of God but live it daily, building our lives on the solid foundation of Chris our true rock.