Building your house on rock: Daily Mass Homily--Thursday, June 25th, 2015

(Listen to this homily here).

            Given Jesus’ parable this morning about the house built on rock, I would like you to remember the floods from last summer.  Doesn’t Jesus’ words apply to that time?  “The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted…”  The power of that flood was powerful—destructive even.  Remember the wrecked docks, homes as well as all the sandbags?

            As I have been visiting people now I have found it interesting how many people have replaced old docks with ones built on rock cages.  No more docks on wheels or ones people put in and out each year! 

            Another image I thought of when I read this Gospel was from one of our parishioners’ homes.  Their retaining wall next to the lake looks like something from a fortress.  It is a couple feet thick and several feet high.  This rock structure looks like it could take on a hurricane and protects their yard and house from the elements.

            This parable of Jesus has deep meaning.  The rain, floods and winds represent sin, the secular world, illness and death.  Building a house on sand suggests a weak foundation which may come in the form of selfishness, radical individualism, materialism and the like.  We see people around us building such lives and they are blown around by every wind.

            The obvious point is that we must build our spiritual lives on rock—on Christ…on the Church.  And the two most basic ways we can do this: the sacraments and daily prayer.  If we are faithful to Christ and his Church in these two simple areas, we will help build our souls on rock.

            With the image of last summers’ floods in mind, remembering the power of water in the natural world, keep in mind there are more powerful forces in the spiritual world.  Strive to build your life on Christ, through faithfully receiving the sacraments and growing in daily prayer.  Only then will we remain on a sure rock foundation.