1st Week of Advent, Thursday, Dec 2
Isaiah 26:1-6 / Matthew 7:221, 24-27
Opera star Lily Pons died in Dallas in 1976. During her life, she was an international celebrity. She ate barbecue at the White House with President Eisenhower and received the French Legion of Honour from Charles de Gaulle. After her death, an auction was held to dispose of her estate. Commenting on it, Maryln Schwartz of the Dallas Morning News writes: “A picture of her partying with actor Humphrey Bogart went for 50 cents. Chatty letters from Princess Grace and Prince Rainier went for five dollars, as did a note from Princess Elizabeth thanking Pons for a wedding present.”
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Do we realize that many things we prize now will be viewed as worthless after our death? “Do not store up riches for yourselves here on earth... Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven.” Matthew 6:19-20
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The first reading comes from an insert in Isaiah that was written in a later period. It speaks of God’s judgment and the victory of God over “cities” of sin. But Jerusalem, God’s community, God’s city, will stand. Those faithful to God can rely on him: he is faithful and solid as a rock.
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When we think about life, there are many lessons that we can learn from it. For example, difficult roads always lead to beautiful destinations, as when we are climbing up a mountain and when we get to the summit we are rewarded with a beautiful vision and a sense of achievement. One of the truths of life is that hard work will have its rewards.
Building something on rock is certainly not easy at all. Piling the foundations into the rock is going to be very hard work. But the reward is that the building will be stable and will stand firm. Building something on sand can be easy but it will be risky. That is what Jesus is telling us in today's gospel.
But the example of building something on rock and on sand is to bring in the point about how we listen to the Word of God and act on them. Following the teachings of Jesus and doing God's will is certainly difficult and entails a lot of hard work of denying ourselves.
But the reward will be what we heard in the 1st reading: That day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city. Facing the difficulties and challenges of our faith require a lot of hard work on our part but the reward will be that the foundations of our faith will be firm.
And God will guard us along the way as He sets wall and rampart about us. When we build our lives on God our Rock and stand firm with Him, He will stand firm with us. And Jesus promises us that we will not fall. Let us trust in Him and continue to build on the Lord our Rock.
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Those who accept the call and challenge of Jesus’ words by living as his disciples are building on rock. This is true both for the individual disciple and for the community of the Church.
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Prayer
Lord, our God, to those who trust in you and live the Gospel of your Son, you are a dependable rock. In the storms and tensions of our times, may our faith never waver, but give us the courage to live as we believe, consistently, radically, that with your Son we may do your will and live in your love, now and forever. Amen
