Deuteronomy 11:18, 26-28, 32
Psalms 31:2-3, 3-4, 17, 25
Romans 3:21-25, 28
Matthew 7:21-27
"House on Rock"
Commonsense will tell us that building a house built on loose foundation is lack of commonsense. Any house without good foundation is naturally vulnerable to natural disaster. One need not be an architect or structural engineer to know this basic principle of building.
During the time Jesus, everyone knew that it was foolish to build your house on sand at the bottom of the valley rather than on the rock high above. After every heavy rain a torrent of water forms almost immediately that sweeps away everything in its path.
Our Lord uses this observation to create today’s parable about the two houses that, as a parable, has two meanings.
These two houses in the parable describe two groups of humanity, specifically we Christians who are trying to follow the footstep of our Lord.
Jesus classified the first of group of his disciples as wise people:
Thus, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock (Matthew 7:24-25).
Changing only a few words, Jesus presents the second group of his followers, the foolish ones:
And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined (Matthew 7:26-27).
Are You Stable?
Which group can we find ourselves? Naturally, our Lord wants all of us to be his wise followers with a strong foundation in life.
We all know that our life on earth is not always easy. Like our Melbourne weather, our own life can be unpredictable and at times without any warning it can turn to a powerful storm. Likewise life unfortunately can be devastating.
Storms in our life may appear as financial setbacks, health problems, marital difficulties, depression, personal crisis, or the death of a loved one. Are stable enough to face such 'storms' in life?
Today our Lord Jesus shares with us his divine wisdom and reminds us all “to build our house not on sand but on rock.” In order to survive we need to cling on to something stable, strong and permanent.
Building your house on sand means placing your hopes and certainties in unstable and unpredictable things that cannot stand the whips and scorns of time. Money, success and personal health are such things. They are all good but they are one of those things that will not last forever.
Building your house on rock means, on the contrary, to stake your life and hopes on that which “thieves cannot steal nor rust corrode,” on that which does not pass away. “Heaven and earth will pass away,” Jesus said, “but my words shall not pass away.”
Building your house on rock means quite simply building on God. We try our best to commit our life and trust in God as our Rock. In the Old Testament rock is one of the Bible’s favourite symbols for God: “Our God is an eternal rock” (Isaiah 26:4); “He is the rock, his works are perfect” (Deuteronomy 32:4). Our response to the Psalm today “Lord, be my rock of safety.”
God is our rock. He is our sure foundation and our ultimate security in life. God alone is our stronghold when waves of trials and disaster threaten us. As long we cling firmly to our Rock no big storms can ever blow us away.
Church: House Built on Rock
God loves us, that he himself had built a house on rock for us, through his Son Jesus. All we have to do is to go inside his house built on rock, it is the Church. The house built upon the rock is the one about which Jesus spoke to Simon: “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church” (Matthew 16:18).
When we say Church we don’t talk about its physical structure. It is not the one built of bricks and mortar but that made up of “living stones.” These living stones are we who are built upon the cornerstone, who is Christ Jesus.
We are the Church, everything that Jesus has told and revealed, his teachings and miracles and including the stories of his first disciples, they all belong to us.
So to build one’s life upon rock therefore means to live in the Church in unity, not staying outside forever pointing our fingers at the inconsistency and defects of the human side of the Church.
To build one’s life upon rock most of all is when devoutly practice what we believe as Christians. When we are not only familiar to the Church's teaching but also faithfully obeying its provisions, we are building our life on God. For our faith and belief must be consistent to our lifestyles.
May Christ’s words and wisdom today abide in us, so as to become in us principles of life… If our life conforms to the teaching of Christ, we shall be like the wise man who with his mind and will built upon Christ as upon a firm foundation.
Prayer
"Lord Jesus, you are the only foundation that can hold us up when trials and disaster threaten us. Give me the wisdom, foresight, and strength of character I need to do what is right and good and to reject whatever is false and contrary to your will. May I be a doer of your word and not a hearer only."
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Quasi-Parish of Our Lady of MiraculousVirgin, Balatong, Pulilan, Bulacan. Readings Fr Cantalamessa's homily www.zenit.org; daily reflection at www.rc.net
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