Saturday September 13, 2025
Good News Reflections:
Making scripture meaningful to your daily life
by Terry Modica
“But the one who listens and does not act on my words is like a person who built a house without a foundation. When the river flooded, it collapsed and was completely destroyed.” (From today’s Gospel reading)
Good News Reflection for:
Saturday of the 23rd Week of Ordinary Time
September 13, 2025
Today’s Readings:
1 Timothy 1:15-17
Psalm 113:1-7
Luke 6:43-49
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091325.cfm
Podcast:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-september-13-2025
When Christians Live Crippled: The Tragedy of Unbelief
Imagine a flock of sheep in their pasture. Most of them are crippled. Some are dragging a leg behind them and slowly making their way forward. Others are limping. Others are running in panic, jumping at the sight of wolves even though Jesus is standing between them and the wolves, and this further damages their injured legs. Some are lying on the ground bleating and complaining because they are too weary to get up and continue walking with their weak knees.
Although Jesus the Good Shepherd is right there, their eyes are not on him. They do not see the strength and healing he is trying to provide. The Holy Spirit is hovering over the flock like a cloud of fire ready to descend — but the sheep are not looking up. They are not interested in asking the Spirit to fill them with holiness.
Jesus is saying, “Look up! You have been given My Holy Spirit. Ask and you shall receive, and in greater measure than you deserve or desire. I have given you everything and yet you do not see it. You look at your insufficiency and think this is normal. You assume that this is the way it must be, even though you pray for more. But I tell you, My precious flock, that there is so much more — so much more, so much more! — that I want to give to you and do in you and through you.”
As Jesus tells us in Luke 6:43-49, anyone who hears his teachings but does not act on them is like a person who built their man-made successes, their financial resources, and anything else they accomplished on false security. When the enemy attacked, what they had depended on collapsed and was completely destroyed.
The enemy is prowling around the world seeking the ruin of souls. Demons push people to build on sand — they undermined their Christian foundations. Then, when the timing suits their purposes, they make a frontal attack and destroy everything.
God in his mercy, on the other hand, gives sinners time to repent. He gives them many opportunities to hear and heed his voice. He has been speaking warnings through the Blessed Mother. He is also speaking more vocally now through modern-day prophets.
But when people ignore this, and they fail to live in and act on the teachings of Christ, they have no solid grounding to depend on. When people contradict the teachings of the true Church Magisterium, which is meant to guide us in applying Christ’s teachings to our lives, a collapse is inevitable.
Before we can look up, we must look down. How firm is our foundation? We all sin; what fortifications are needed to increase our holiness?
Jesus says to us: “Repent of your unbelief. I am here to help you believe the truth that I spoke to you when I told you that by following Me and believing in Me you will do the same works that I do and even greater ones. Repent of being satisfied with insufficiency. Repent of being lame and crippled in your faith. Repent of disbelieving that I have given you the fullness of the Holy Spirit to help you grow in faith and become My witnesses throughout the Earth.”
He continues: “I know you love Me. Now give up everything that prevents you from fully entering into the holy, supernatural life that places you firmly on My rock. My lamb, come alive and be activated in what is truly normal Christian living! Become fully alive in the Holy Spirit. Pour out My love and My power into the world!”
And he repeats the words of John 14:12. He says: “Truly, truly I tell you, if you believe in Me you will do the same works that I have done and even greater ones, because today the world needs this example of My power. Many are those who wait for the truth that will set them free from demonic enslavement — now more than ever before. Arise, my little lambs, and run and jump for joy because your feet are steady and your knees are strong and your legs are powerful.
“Do not believe the lies of the wolves that tell you otherwise. Do not be tricked into thinking that you are lame. Renounce those lies. I have much for you to do. Arise, come, and follow Me truly, more closely and more actively than ever before.”
© 2025 by Terry A. Modica
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