December 4/First Thursday of Advent
The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. And it fell – and great was its fall! ~ Matt 7.27
Failure to build on a strong foundation is inevitably a pathway to collapse, whether one is constructing a house or a faith life. The obvious and salutary message of today’s well-known passage from Matthew is that we should build a solid spiritual foundation grounded in faith in Christ. Today, however, I would like to consider two other related threats to our spiritual construction work: deferred maintenance and demolition by neglect. In the humid coastal environment where I live, putting off needed repairs invites mildew and rot; failure to have an annual termite check can be catastrophic; and delaying water mitigation measures is downright disastrous. An uncared-for building will inevitably deteriorate to the point of no return, where restoration is impossible and demolition due to neglect becomes the only option. In the context of today’s Gospel, it may be useful to ask ourselves how well we are maintaining our own spiritual house. Are we keeping the place up through daily prayer, acts of kindness and love, and regular churchgoing, or are we deferring maintenance until “later”? Do we check regularly for structural soundness, making sure that our spiritual life has not become infested with distractions and diversions that eat away at our foundation in Christ? Do we have a plan in place to protect against the inundating floods of TikTok and Instagram? Or does our thoughtless indifference to spiritual maintenance put at risk the entire structure of our spiritual life? A strong foundation – which many of us are lucky to have – is not sufficient in itself; we must pay attention and keep our spiritual edifice sound and healthy, through daily acts of faith, hope, and charity.
O God, who constructed the universe with your word, grant that I may be a prudent steward of the faith you have given me. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120425.cfm
To hear Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band sing “How Firm a Foundation,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTg8ToOe1FQ
