1st Week of the Advent - Thursday
1st December 2022 (Thursday) Readings and Reflection
Dear Brothers and Sisters, we are on the Thursday of 1st Week of the Advent. Today's gospel reflection is on the theme Build on the rock!
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Reading of the Day
First Reading: Isaiah 26:1-6
1. In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. 2. Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. 3. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 4. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. 5. For he has humbled the inhabitants of the height, the lofty city. He lays it low, lays it low to the ground, casts it to the dust. 6. The foot tramples it, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy.”
Psalm 118:1 and 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a (R. 26a)
Response: Blest is he who comes in the name of the Lord. or: Alleluia.
Give praise to the Lord, for he is good;
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. Response
Open to me the gates of justice:
I will enter and thank the Lord.
This is the Lord's own gate,
where the just enter.
I will thank you, for you have answered,
and you are my saviour. Response
O Lord, grant salvation;
O Lord, grant success.
Blest is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the house of the Lord;
the Lord is God, and has given us light. Response
Gospel : Matthew 7:21,24-27
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, 21. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 24. “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Main Theme: Build on the rock!
Indicative: Heaven is our eternal house and city. Only those who build on God their houses of earthly life can enter that heavenly dwelling{alertSuccess}
1. In today’s word of God, we have two metaphors, two key actions, and two sets of contrasts. The two images are the kingdom or the city and the other is a house. The two actions are “entering” and “building.” The two contrasting sets are the foundation of rock and the foundation of sand, and wisdom and foolishness.
2. Heaven is that kingdom or city. It is our destiny and we are to enter it. But who can enter it? Only the righteous that keep the faith; only they whose mind is stayed on God; only they who trust in God; only they who do the will of the Father.
3. Therefore, it is not enough to say “Lord, Lord.” But it is more important to do God’s will. It is not enough to recite bundles of prayers or make loud acclamations or shout excited slogans. Rather all these should complement doing God’s will, and not substitute it.
4. Our life is like a house. And two kinds of foundations are available before us. One is the foundation of rock, and the other is, that of sand. God, trust in him, and doing his will is the first kind of rock.
5. World, trust in it, and following the wrong ways of the world are the second type of foundation. Both houses face the same happenings and difficulties, namely rain, floods, and winds. But their fate is different: the house on the rock stands firm and unfallen; the house on the sand collapses.
6. However, all these factors are interconnected. Those who wisely build their house on a rocky foundation will enter the kingdom. But those who foolishly build their house on a sandy foundation will be denied entry.
Imperative: Be wise. Trust in God. Build your life on the rock of faith. Do not be content with mere words but be a doer of God’s will. Then you will surely enter God’s kingdom{alertSuccess}
Video Reflection
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