Not only a matter of words and intention

By Fr. Roy Cimagala*

“IT is not anyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," who will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Mt 7,21) Christ says it very clearly. Our prayer should not just be a matter of sweet words and good intentions. It should be a matter of deeds that fulfill the will of God.

Let’s remember that when our words and intentions are converted into deeds, we would be strengthening our integrity and consistency as a person and as a child of God. As the gospel says it, we would be like a house built on solid rock. (cfr. Mt 7,24-25) 

As such, we would be more able to bear our own weaknesses, to resist the temptations around us, to carry out our duties in this life, and to continue to pursue our supernatural end to be with God in heaven. In other words, we would be fulfilling God’s will for us.

St. Paul said something similar. “Not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” (Rom 2,13). And St. James: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (1,22)

Christ himself lived by this principle, even at the expense of his own life. “I do nothing of myself, but as the Father has taught me...” (Jn 8,28) And in the agony in the garden, he expressed that most eloquent submission to his Father’s will, “Not my will but yours be done.” (Lk 22,42)

All the saints lived by this principle. And the epitome is Our Lady. When someone in the crowd told him his mother was around, he said: “Behold my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Mt 12,29-30)

Far from disparaging his own mother with those words, Christ was actually praising her. Mary did not only beget her son biologically. She begat him through her deep and constant faith, through her faithful obedience to God’s will. Her ‘Fiat’ (Be it done) was not only uttered at the Annunciation. She lived it before and after that meeting with the Archangel Gabriel. In fact, she lived it all throughout her life.

We have to find ways and strategies to turn our good intentions and nice words into action. We cannot deny that we, in general, are notorious for being good only in the former but bad in the latter.

Let’s always remember that doing God’s will is what is most important to us. It’s not just following our will which is, of course, indispensable to us. Otherwise, we would be undermining our very own freedom and our humanity itself. Whatever we do is done because we want it. It should be a fruit of our freedom.

But what is most important is to conform our will to God’s will, which is even more indispensable to us. Otherwise, we sooner or later would destroy our freedom and our humanity itself, since God is the very author and the very lawgiver of our freedom and our humanity.

This is a basic truth that we need to spread around more widely and abidingly, since it is steadily and even systematically forgotten and, nowadays, even contradicted in many instances. 

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

From intention and words to deeds

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          “Not everyone that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into

the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is

in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 7,21)

          With these words of Christ, we are clearly reminded that we

should not only have good intentions and beautiful words of promise,

but rather the strong conviction to bring those intentions and words

into action. What is important is that we do the will of God, and not

just wish and promise to do it. This is what to be a true Christian

is, and not just a Christian in name.

          Let’s remember also that parable Christ said about the two

sons who were asked their father to work in the vineyard. (cfr. Mt

21,28-32) One said ‘yes’ but did not go, while the other said ‘no’ but

actually went. The conclusion of that parable, of course, was that the

one who initially said ‘no’ but went to the vineyard was the one who

did the will of his father.

          Obviously, the ideal is that what we intend, what we say and

promise, should be carried out into deeds. St. Paul has something very

relevant to say about this. “Not the hearers of the law are just

before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” (Rom 2,13)

St. James says something similar: “Be doers of the word, and not

hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (1,22)

          Christ himself lived by this principle, even at the expense

of his own life. “I do nothing of myself, but as the Father has taught

me...” (Jn 8,28) And in the agony in the garden, he expressed that

most eloquent submission to his Father’s will, “Not my will but yours

be done.” (Lk 22,42)

          We need to understand that our whole life is a matter of

conforming ourselves to God’s will, the very seat of our ultimate

identity as persons and children of God. This would involve the stages

of knowing that will, believing it, then professing it and putting it

into action. In short, receiving our faith, then turning it into life

itself.

          All saints and the parade of holy men and women all through

the ages have done nothing other than this. They had their ups and

downs, their wins and losses, but they always stood up after each fall

or loss, they repented, and went back to action again.

          Of course, the epitome among the saints is Our Lady, who was

praised by Christ himself to high heavens. When someone in the crowd

told him his mother was around, he said: “Behold my mother and my

brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, that is in

heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Mt 12, 29-50)

          We should see to it that we are good not only in words and

in intentions, but also and most especially in deeds. Our usual

problem, given our human nature and the current condition of our

woundedness, is that we tend precisely to be very good in words and in

intentions but really poor in performance and consistency.

          We have to remember that what is truly important is that we

always live by God’s will. This is how we become truly human and

Christian, image and likeness of God as he wants us to be.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

roycimagala@gmail.com