01 Dec 2011, Thursday of the First Week of Advent

Reading 1 Is 26:1-6

On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah:

"A strong city have we;
he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
Open up the gates
to let in a nation that is just,
one that keeps faith.
A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;
in peace, for its trust in you."

Trust in the LORD forever!
For the LORD is an eternal Rock.
He humbles those in high places,
and the lofty city he brings down;
He tumbles it to the ground,
levels it with the dust.
It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
by the footsteps of the poor.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 118:1 And 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a

R. (26a) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This gate is the LORD's;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel Mt 7:21, 24-27

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man 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.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined."

Meditation: Matthew 7:21,24-27

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“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

We are all familiar with the say­ing that talk is cheap. We all know that not everyone who says, “Jesus is Lord” can back up this statement by the way he or she lives. In fact, none of us is capable of living out this truth every moment of every day.

So what hope do we have of en­tering Jesus’ kingdom, if our words are not enough? Lots of hope! We need to remember Jesus has given us many tools to help us build our spiritual house on a solid founda­tion—tools that will enable us to live out the words we say in the creed.

First and foremost, he has given us the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, which cleanse us of original sin and fill us with the gifts of the Spirit. Second, he has given us the Scriptures and the teachings of the church, which are the “blue­prints” for our spiritual house. We also have the gift of the Eucharist, Jesus’ own body and blood, to fill us with his life and strengthen our hearts for the calling God has for us.

With all these gifts, you would think that building our house on the solid rock of Jesus’ word would be easy. But we know that’s not always true. Temptation is never far away, and we sometimes give in. When this happens, our spiritual house can be­come weakened or fall into disrepair. If it happens too often, we risk seeing our house collapse altogether.

What a good thing, then, that Jesus has also given us the Sacra­ment of Reconciliation, which can help repair our spiritual foundation. The Sacrament of Confession can be a wonderfully freeing experience! Laying your sins at the foot of the cross, you can find yourself refreshed and renewed. Hearing words of for­giveness and consolation from your confessor, you can find the strength and encouragement to get back to building your life on the most re­liable and trustworthy foundation ever: Jesus himself. So try to receive the sacrament before Christmas, and see what God does in your heart as a result.

“Jesus, give me the courage to make a good confession this Advent. I don’t want to build my spiritual house on the shifting sands of this world’s empty promises. I want to build on you, my true rock and my true Lord.”