Daily Readings - Thu Dec 01 2022
Isaiah
1In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks.2Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.3You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.4Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.5For he has humbled the inhabitants of the height, the lofty city. He lays it low, lays it low to the ground, casts it to the dust.6The foot tramples it, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy."
Matthew
21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.24"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.25And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.27And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the foundation of our faith and the trust we place in God. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear a canticle of hope and trust in the Lord, who is the ultimate source of strength and peace. The prophet describes a city of strength, Zion, where the just and truthful people dwell. He emphasizes that true security comes not from human efforts but from trusting in God, who humbles the proud and lifts up the lowly. This passage reminds us that our hope is not in earthly powers or fleeting successes but in the eternal and unshakable God.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us about the importance of living out our faith in action. He says that not everyone who calls Him "Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of His Father. Jesus then uses the parable of the two builders: the wise man who builds his house on rock and the foolish man who builds on sand. The house on rock withstands the storms of life because it is founded on a firm foundation—listening to and living out Jesus' teachings. This parable challenges us to examine the foundation of our own lives. Are we merely hearing the Word of God, or are we putting it into practice?
These readings call us to trust in God’s providence and to build our lives on the solid rock of His teachings. In a world filled with uncertainty and challenges, we are reminded that true peace and security come from living in harmony with God’s will. Let us ask ourselves: Am I placing my trust in the Lord, or am I relying on my own strength? Am I building my life on the rock of faith, or am I settling for the shifting sands of worldly priorities? May we strive to be wise builders, rooted in prayer, virtue, and a commitment to living out the Gospel in our daily lives.