20231207 CHRIST OUR EVERLASTING ROCK
07 December 2023, Thursday, 1st Week of Advent
First reading | Isaiah 26:1-6 © |
Open the gates; let the upright nation come in
That day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city;
to guard us he has set
wall and rampart about us.
Open the gates! Let the upright nation come in,
she, the faithful one
whose mind is steadfast, who keeps the peace,
because she trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord for ever,
for the Lord is the everlasting Rock;
he has brought low those who lived high up
in the steep citadel;
he brings it down, brings it down to the ground,
flings it down in the dust:
the feet of the lowly, the footsteps of the poor
trample on it.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 117(118):1,8-9,19-21,25-27 © |
Blessed in the name of the Lord is he who comes.
or
Alleluia.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
for his love has no end.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in men;
it is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
Blessed in the name of the Lord is he who comes.
or
Alleluia.
Open to me the gates of holiness:
I will enter and give thanks.
This is the Lord’s own gate
where the just may enter.
I will thank you for you have answered
and you are my saviour.
Blessed in the name of the Lord is he who comes.
or
Alleluia.
O Lord, grant us salvation;
O Lord, grant success.
Blessed in the name of the Lord
is he who comes.
We bless you from the house of the Lord;
the Lord God is our light.
Blessed in the name of the Lord is he who comes.
or
Alleluia.
Gospel Acclamation | Is40:9-10 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Shout with a loud voice, joyful messenger to Jerusalem.
Here is the Lord God coming with power.
Alleluia!
Or: | Is55:6 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Seek the Lord while he is still to be found,
call to him while he is still near.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 7:21,24-27 © |
The wise man built his house on a rock
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!’
CHRIST OUR EVERLASTING ROCK
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [IS 26:1-6; PS 118:1,8-9,19-21,25-27; MT 7:21,24-27]
Christ is the rock on which we should build our lives. The Prophet said, “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord is the everlasting Rock; he has brought low those who lived high up in the steep citadel; brings it down, brings it down to the ground, flings it down in the dust: the feet of the lowly, the footsteps of the poor trample on it.” After Peter confessed in Jesus, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 16:16-19) This rock, whilst referring to Peter, also refers to his confession of faith in Christ.
Just as the Lord asked the Twelve apostles, “Do you also wish to go away?” because He had taught them some hard teachings and many were leaving Him, Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” (Jn 6:67f) And yet, when the time came, they all abandoned Him when He was arrested. But with the resurrection and the bestowal of the Holy Spirit, they were emboldened to proclaim the gospel in the face of threats and death. When the Sanhedrin “saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus.” (Acts 4:13) Let us too, walk with Jesus so that we will always be strong enough to face the challenges of life and remain faithful to Him. He is our everlasting Rock!
Only because Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, we must take seriously all that He has taught us. St Peter urges us, “Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: ‘See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.'” (1 Pt 2:4-6) Indeed, for us who are serious about growing in our spiritual life, then we must come to Jesus and be fed by Him, to find inspiration and direction. Jesus must be the foundation of life. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
How do we come to the Rock, the living Word of God? St Peter wrote, “Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation – if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Pt 2:1-3) It is important that we make time to deepen our understanding of the Word of God and make it the primary book we use for our prayer life. We must read the Word of God daily and interiorize what we read so that we can find strength, inspiration and encouragement. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps 119:105) It is in the Word of God that we find light in darkness and direction for our life. What better way in Advent than to wait for the coming of the Lord by quietly spending more time in silent prayer and meditation on the Word of God.
To come to the rock is also to receive the living water, for when Moses struck the rock, water flowed. (Num 20:11) Jesus has come to give us living water when He spoke to the Samaritan woman. “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” (Jn 4:13f) And we are told that when our Lord was pierced at the side by a soldier’s lance, at once blood and water came out. (Jn 19:34) Blood and water signify the bestowal of the Holy Spirit at baptism and the sacrament of the Eucharist as the Bread of Life for the new people of God. This is why Catholics must not reduce the Word of God to just reading the scriptures but they must receive the Bread of life at the Eucharistic celebration so that Jesus can be in us and we in Him. “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.” (Jn 6:54-57)
Finally, we are called to live a life of holiness. The psalmist says, “Open to me the gates of holiness: I will enter and give thanks. This is the Lord’s own gate where the just may enter. I will thank you for you have answered and you are my saviour.” Holiness means living a righteous life, a life in union with our Lord, living out the beatitudes as much as we can, and living a life of charity, especially towards the lowly, the poor and those who are oppressed and marginalized. This was the case of Mary who responded to God’s call to serve Him in her life, regardless of the challenges ahead of her. She knew life ahead would be full of sorrows, as the prophet Simeon already warned her, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Lk 2:34f)
Today’s gospel is the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. After delivering the blueprint on how one can enter the Kingdom of God, through the observance of the beatitudes summed up in the Lord’s Prayer, what remains for us after hearing our Lord is to carry out His teaching. Entry into the Kingdom of God is not just knowledge about Jesus but obedience to the will of God. Indeed, the Lord said, “It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven.” This is the way the Lord has shown us how to live the life of the Kingdom. His entire life is lived in obedience to the Father’s will, even to the extent of accepting the passion at the Garden of Gethsemane. What the Lord taught His disciples, He Himself showed the way.
This is the same message from the Prophet Isaiah. To enter Jerusalem, only the righteous could enter. “Open the gates! Let the upright nation come in, she, the faithful one whose mind is steadfast, who keeps the peace, because she trusts in you.” Indeed, we need to show ourselves to be friends of the city before the gates will be opened for us to enter. This is true in every day life. We open our hearts to those whom we love and trust. If we wish to enter the city of peace, which is Jerusalem, then we must be those who are at peace with God and with our fellowmen. Faith in God is the way to find lasting peace. Our confidence must be placed in the Lord. The psalmist says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. The Lord is God, and he has given us light.”
For this reason, we are called to take the teaching of the Lord seriously, and most of all, to act on them. The Lord sums up His Sermon by exhorting us, “‘Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!” How we withstand the storms of life depends on how much faith we have in the Lord. Acting on the Word of God requires courage, perseverance and faith. It presumes that we believe that God is faithful to His word, that He is the everlasting Rock. In the final analysis, it all depends on our personal relationship with the Lord. If we know Him as a person, we will be faithful to Him. Faith grows in and through intimacy. The final test of faith will be seen in the trials we face and how we continue to remain faithful to Him. It is not about words, not about knowledge of doctrines, not about how many years we have been a Catholic, but it is about the readiness to suffer with Him, to carry the cross and follow after Him.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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