Romans 4:1-5 / Luke 12:1-7
It is said that every action has a reaction.
That is certainly true. It's only a matter of whether the action and subsequent reaction has be observed and recorded.
The Bible is a good example of a recording of actions and subsequent reactions.
The story of Abraham, as recorded in book of Genesis, is like a series of actions and reactions in the form of call and response.
Abraham's story is retold in the 1st reading to highlight that he was a man who put his faith in God. God called him and he responded in faith.
In the gospel, Jesus gave another example of this action-reaction connection. To the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, He told the people to be on their guard.
Then He moved on to the larger picture of the reality of life. Everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. And what is whispered in hidden places will be proclaimed on the housetops.
That will make us realize that our actions, whether in public or in private, do not go unnoticed. Nor are they stand alone actions.
Yes, every action has a reaction. So a good deed begets another good deed, a bad one begets another bad one.
May our thoughts, words and actions be done in God, and with the grace of God may our thoughts, words and actions be used by God to evoke a favourable response from others.