December 1 - Rob Peace
Matthew 7:21, 24-27
Today's Advent reflection is on Matthew 7:21, 24-27 from Mr. Rob Peace.
During the COVID pandemic, I ended up rewatching lots of 1980’s comedies with my teenage children. One of them was a movie called “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” If you haven’t seen it or don’t remember, it is about two high school slackers who travel through time to collect historical figures so that they can pass history class and then they can go on to promote peace and goodwill throughout the universe. My favorite scene is when the two protagonists encounter the Greek philosopher Socrates, whom they address as “So-Crates.” Trying to connect with him, Ted plagiarizes an old classic rock ballad and says, “all we are is dust in the wind, dude.”
If we fast forward four hundred years from Ancient Greece to Galilee, we encounter Jesus speaking to his disciples about dust, or sand, and about the Kingdom of God.
Channeling the prophet Isaiah, Jesus says, “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.”
Most of us can agree that it is good to have some kind of strong foundation to withstand the storms that life brings our way. This could be our families or belonging to some kind of community. In the Christian tradition, the analogy of building a house on rock has to do with the strength of one’s faith in God. However, Jesus emphasizes that faith is only as strong as that which has been tested by acting as God would have us act in this world. It is not good enough just to agree with Jesus’ words about discipleship, we must become disciples ourselves. It means we need to change our priorities through the choices that we make. This involves asking uncomfortable questions about what we want versus what others truly need, spending time with strangers, and wrestling with how to respond with love to those who hate.
As we get closer to the celebration of Christmas, what is important and foundational? What is solid? Yes, it is important for us to have traditional activities and celebrations, fun, gift giving and food around this time of year. They are important reflections of the relationships that we have with friends and loved ones. But more crucially, we must be maintaining our relationships with our God by acting on daily opportunities that do not seem like opportunities at first. When we are busy, can we be present to a friend or sibling when they have something really important to say? In the midst of life’s noise, are we making space for prayer, meditation, or worship? When we encounter someone we disagree with or just don’t like, are we choosing kindness over ridicule or contempt?
None of us are perfect, and sometimes we will choose what is convenient over what is right. But Advent calls us back to patience and waiting, despite the inconvenience of delayed gratification. It is a reminder that this holiday season, like others, will pass away, and the Christmas decorations will get taken down. But our God remains with us each and every day, offering peace and goodwill to us and to the world, which is truly excellent.
Back
During the COVID pandemic, I ended up rewatching lots of 1980’s comedies with my teenage children. One of them was a movie called “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” If you haven’t seen it or don’t remember, it is about two high school slackers who travel through time to collect historical figures so that they can pass history class and then they can go on to promote peace and goodwill throughout the universe. My favorite scene is when the two protagonists encounter the Greek philosopher Socrates, whom they address as “So-Crates.” Trying to connect with him, Ted plagiarizes an old classic rock ballad and says, “all we are is dust in the wind, dude.”
If we fast forward four hundred years from Ancient Greece to Galilee, we encounter Jesus speaking to his disciples about dust, or sand, and about the Kingdom of God.
Channeling the prophet Isaiah, Jesus says, “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.”
Most of us can agree that it is good to have some kind of strong foundation to withstand the storms that life brings our way. This could be our families or belonging to some kind of community. In the Christian tradition, the analogy of building a house on rock has to do with the strength of one’s faith in God. However, Jesus emphasizes that faith is only as strong as that which has been tested by acting as God would have us act in this world. It is not good enough just to agree with Jesus’ words about discipleship, we must become disciples ourselves. It means we need to change our priorities through the choices that we make. This involves asking uncomfortable questions about what we want versus what others truly need, spending time with strangers, and wrestling with how to respond with love to those who hate.
As we get closer to the celebration of Christmas, what is important and foundational? What is solid? Yes, it is important for us to have traditional activities and celebrations, fun, gift giving and food around this time of year. They are important reflections of the relationships that we have with friends and loved ones. But more crucially, we must be maintaining our relationships with our God by acting on daily opportunities that do not seem like opportunities at first. When we are busy, can we be present to a friend or sibling when they have something really important to say? In the midst of life’s noise, are we making space for prayer, meditation, or worship? When we encounter someone we disagree with or just don’t like, are we choosing kindness over ridicule or contempt?
None of us are perfect, and sometimes we will choose what is convenient over what is right. But Advent calls us back to patience and waiting, despite the inconvenience of delayed gratification. It is a reminder that this holiday season, like others, will pass away, and the Christmas decorations will get taken down. But our God remains with us each and every day, offering peace and goodwill to us and to the world, which is truly excellent.
Mount Saint Joseph High School
Mount Saint Joseph is a Catholic, college preparatory school for young men sponsored by the Xaverian Brothers.
