Mt 7:21-29 A Person Built On Rock
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Jesus said to his disciples: “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. 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.”
Are you wise or foolish?
This morning I went for a walk. As I passed by one multimillion dollar home after another, I thought to myself, “Is this home built on the Rock? I hope so! Otherwise, it would be a beautiful waste."
I know beautiful families that live in beautiful homes. I also know a few that feel like they live in a 'beautiful' prison. It's hard to believe, but it's true. Building a home, like a family, takes more than good planning, good intentions and good finances.
It takes a good solid-rock foundation.
I know beautiful families that live in beautiful homes. I also know a few that feel like they live in a 'beautiful' prison. It's hard to believe, but it's true. Building a home, like a family, takes more than good planning, good intentions and good finances.
It takes a good solid-rock foundation.
Our world was built on a rock. But it was the storms, floods, earthquakes and volcano eruptions that gave it life! Our problem is that we continue to think that the storms in our life are bad things. They are not; unless we are made paper thin, skin deep.
I argue with myself once in a while. I say, “If only I had this or that in my life, then I would be ‘great’ today.” But what I'm saying is gravely mistaken. And I know it…I think. Maybe you know what I mean. Do you think perfect conditions help create perfect people? Well, Adam and Eve had the perfect conditions and look what happened! I'm more likely to believe that perfect men (holy people) create perfect conditions.
Take for example the materially rich. Do they lack in any physical comfort or mental culture? And yet, look and see for yourself. Why do some of their young die as if they were poor? Why do their kids rebel as if their mansion were a prison? You would think they would follow in their parent’s footsteps. They don’t. I personally know a family that is worth billions of dollars. They have four kids. The son graduated from Georgetown University and became a marine last year. Their daughter is currently spending her summer vacation in Ethiopia. Another is building homes in Honduras. The youngest one is doing nothing; she is the spoiled rotten little girl. Oh well, two out of three ain’t bad. But contrary to what you may think, none of them are doing what they are doing because of some altruistic reasons. They are doing what they are doing because they are in open rebellion.
Grace produces good fruit. Sin produces bad fruit. Grace is independent of wealth and privilege. In fact, wealth and privilege may very well be an obstacle to grace; whereas poverty may allow grace to penetrate more easily, turning stone into bread!
Dawn Loggins worked hard as a janitor at Burns High School. She was painstakingly methodical in her work, even when she had to mentally prepare for an upcoming test. She was a straight-A student at the very school she used to clean! Life has not been easy for Dawn. Homeless at a very young age, abandoned by her parents and brought up by her grandmother, she had to work most of her young life. But while she worked, she matured beyond her years. She knows how cruel some of her peers can be. She knows how disgusting they can be, especially in the way they use the bathrooms. But at the end of this school year, Dawn graduated from High School and was accepted to Harvard University. She prayed for this moment and worked diligently to achieve it. She did it, and as long as she keeps her head on straight; as long as she remembers her humble beginnings; and as long as she keeps her feet planted on solid ground, she will do many other remarkable things.
Storms do not make or break us. It is the size of the rock that we hold onto that will.
May our homes and our lives be firmly planted on the Rock that is Jesus Christ.
"Storms do not make or break us. It is the size of the rock that we hold onto that will"
ReplyDeleteAMEN!!!
I've been through some unbelievable things in my life recently. It's hard to believe it's true or that's it's even my life sometimes.
My friends keep telling me to write a book. But I can't write a book, I'm still hanging on while the wind keep trying to pull me out by my roots.
One thing I'd like to add, is that even if you don't have your life on solid ground when the storm hits, He is there and you can dig your heals in until you hit rock and then you can weather any storm.
Or that's been my experience
I love to read human interest stories, like the one about Dawn Loggins, that have an encouraging ending! :)
ReplyDeleteToday's gospel reading is one of my favorites. I reflect on the times in my life when I mistakenly thought I was sitting on a good solid foundation in my relationship with others and in my adherence to church teachings. I've arrogantly thought because I go to Mass every Sunday and involved in parish ministry that the "foundation" I stood on was strong, sturdy, indestructible. Then my sinful ways make their appearance forming tiny little cracks in the "living rock". I try to patch up the cracks with sand or mud...anything except the previous "living mortar" that only faith in Jesus Christ can fix. I love Saint Catherine Siena when she wrote the following in Magnificat's Meditation of the Day: "I long to see you a strong stone, with your foundation in that gentle firm rock, Christ Jesus." (She is my favorite of the women saints!!)
Blessings,
-Jennifer
Several years ago, I told my parents that the best thing they ever gave me besides knowledge of God’s Love was my siblings and poverty. It is true to this day. All 7 of us had to pay our way through college, buy our own cars, insurance, literally everthing since we were seniors in high school. We all had to find courage deep down inside of us if we were going to make it. We accomplished something for ourselves. That is how my parents built confidence in us. They let us figure it out on our own. We didn’t have a self- esteem movement back then, so I guess they had to use what they had!!! Man, how very fortunate we were…. and we thought we were poor, ha!
ReplyDeleteI will not keep up with the Jones’ in giving everything to my children even if I am able! I will not get a maid to help clean my house: I will be robbing them of learning how to cook, clean, mow grass in this Texas heat! How does one get the value of discipline? Yes, it is difficult b/c as parents, we have to train them. It would be much easier to do it myself or get a maid! I can afford it, but what’s the point? To get it done and show off my clean, hospitable house or to teach my kids discipline?
Several years ago, there were a string of teenage suicides in Plano. One of them was a son of a father I knew. The teenagers last letter read like: sorry about this….. what is the reason for my life? Dad, you gave me everything, and I was happy with the BMW and all the money you gave me, but I just don’t know why I’m here…. I don’t know what I can even do w/my life….. The father knew he gave his son too much and he regrets it to this day.
We think we are detached from worldly things, but to paraphrase Mother Teresa to her sisters, ‘we have to live like the poor, not just live among them’. It is the experience of life that truly forms us, not words or even our beliefs!!! We have to “BE what we believe”! To me, this means hurting, sacrificing for a greater good.
If I had to attribute only one thing that keeps Americans away from God, it is consumerism. We have a comfortable life: why would I pray to God? What could I possibly ask for? …. well, maybe I would pray for REAL fulfillment…. It may just take a while to figure out what that is exactly!
“But it was the storms, floods, earthquakes and volcano eruptions that gave it life!” This is what the human heart is truly searching for: a divine adventure!
Wow, I am from a big family, and everything you said about cleaning the housing and mowing the yard is soooooo very very true. You described perfectly my parents train of thought and how I am growing up!
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