Daily Mass Reflections - 12/6

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” ~ Psalm 118

Both today’s Reading (Isaiah 26:1-6) and Gospel (Matthew 7:21, 24-27) afford us the opportunity to view Jesus as the rock upon which our Week 1 Advent theme of hope resides.

“For the Lord is an eternal rock” Isaiah reminds us, in a reading that foreshadows the day when justice and peace will prevail, a day when the mighty cities that were built ruthlessly upon the backs of the poor and oppressed will be “trampled underfoot by the needy, by the footsteps of the poor.”

In our Gospel Passage, we are told that those who obey Jesus, the word made flesh, are “like a wise man who built his house on rock” going on to point out that “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.”

The metaphorical rain, floods and winds will certainly roll and roar through our lives. No one is immune. But it will be those whose lives are built upon the everlasting and immovable rock of scripture, prayer, and the sacraments that will ultimately persevere. Conversely, those who build their foundation on the shaky, ‘sandy’ promises of the fleeting secular world will ultimately collapse into ruin.

The Advent Season encourages us to reflect upon our foundation. Where does our hope reside? In whom do we trust? What is the source of our joy? Do we even possess joy?

In a season predicated on preparation, we oftentimes overlook the fact that we are not only to prepare for the coming of the Baby Jesus, but also the ultimate second coming of Jesus, the Savior whom Isaiah joyfully heralds in our 1st Reading.

“Dear Jesus, thank you for being my rock, for giving my feet a solid ground to stand on. Thank you that even in the storms of life you are my solid foundation. Thank you for never giving up on me” ~ Amen