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December 7, 2023"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise person 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."
How many rock images can you identify in Sacred Scripture? Several times in Exodus, Moses strikes a rock as God commanded him, water gushes forth, and the community’s thirst is quenched. In Psalm 18:2 we read, The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. In Isaiah 26: For the Lord is an eternal Rock." In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says, "…You are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church.” And in a popular Protestant hymn: "Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee."
Today, Jesus enjoins on us to listen to His words and act on them. This is the foundational message of Jesus, that we do not just relate to Him privately in the solitude and comfort of our room consoled by His Words. Rather, Jesus sets before us a faith taken deep within our hearts, and He commands us to love one another in real life, in practical care and compassion for others. Authentic followers are both listeners and doers of the Word.
Amid the turmoil and strain of our world today, we look for, yes even long for, a solid foundation, a secure place of refuge and peace, a reliable someone we can trust. In these Advent days, when life can be stressful and chaotic, when the turmoil of war and division can seem to be the loudest voice in the room, remember our call is to listen to Jesus’ Word and act on it. If we can remember to do just that, pray the scriptures, and pay attention to the needs of those around us, then our celebration of Emmanual who has come --will be solid as a rock.
