Daily Readings - Thu Dec 02 2021
Isaiah
1In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts.2Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith.3You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.4Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.5He humbles those who dwell on high, he lays the lofty city low; he levels it to the ground and casts it down to the dust.6Feet trample it down- the feet of the oppressed, the footsteps of the poor.
Matthew
21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of true faith and its practical implications in our lives. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear a beautiful canticle of trust and hope in God’s providence. The prophet describes a city of strength, Zion, where the just and the faithful enter through the gates, trusting in God’s promise of peace. This passage is set in a time of uncertainty and threat for the people of Judah, but Isaiah reminds them that true security comes not from human strength but from reliance on the Lord. The old errors and false securities of the world will pass away, but those who trust in God will endure.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us that merely calling him “Lord” is not enough to enter the kingdom of heaven. What matters is doing the will of the Father. He illustrates this with the parable of the wise and foolish builders. The wise builder, who hears Jesus’ words and acts on them, constructs his house on rock, and it stands firm against the storms of life. The foolish builder, who hears but does not act, builds on sand, and his house collapses. This teaching emphasizes that faith must be lived out in action. It is not enough to listen to God’s word; we must allow it to shape our decisions and guide our lives.
These readings are deeply connected. Isaiah’s call to trust in God and Jesus’ call to act on His teachings are two sides of the same coin. Trusting in God leads us to live according to His will, which is the foundation of a life that endures through life’s challenges. In our daily lives, this means prayerfully seeking God’s will and then having the courage to act on it, even when it is difficult. Let us ask ourselves: Am I building my life on the rock of God’s word, or am I settling for the shifting sands of the world? May we strive to be wise builders, trusting in God’s providence and living out our faith with integrity and love.