💖 HOMILY - DECEMBER 4 💖

First Reading - Isaiah 26:1-6 

Gospel - Matthew 7:21,24-27

There is a deep longing in every human heart for something solid—something that does not crumble when life becomes difficult. We search for security in many places: success, relationships, our own abilities, or the plans we carefully build. Yet experience teaches us that these foundations, however good, can shift. Today’s readings invite us to discover a different kind of security, one that does not fail when the storms come.

Isaiah paints a picture of a strong city—secure, peaceful, unshaken. What makes it strong is not walls or weapons, but God Himself. The prophet says that this city is open to “a righteous nation, a people who keep faith.” It is God who establishes peace. It is God who gives stability. And those who trust in Him stand firm. Isaiah invites us to “trust in the Lord forever,” because unlike everything else we cling to, the Lord is eternal, steady, and unchanging.

Jesus takes this image and brings it into the world of daily life. He speaks about two builders: one wise, one foolish. Both hear His words, but only one puts them into practice. Both houses look similar until the storm arrives. And the storm always does arrive—through hardship, temptation, disappointment, loss, or unexpected change. When it comes, the house built on sand collapses, while the one built on rock stands firm.

Jesus is telling us that faith is not merely saying the right words or claiming the right identity. It is building our lives on His teachings, shaping our choices, our relationships, our priorities, and our reactions according to His way. The strength of the foundation is revealed not in calm weather but in crisis. And when our lives are rooted in God, the storms do not destroy us—they prove the strength of the One who holds us.

Dear friends, the readings of the day ask us:

What foundation am I building on?

Where do I seek security?

What do I rely on when life becomes difficult?

We build on rock when we choose forgiveness over bitterness, compassion over judgment, integrity over convenience, prayer over self-reliance. We build on rock when we listen to God’s word not as theory but as direction. We build on rock when our faith shapes not only our Sunday worship but our Monday decisions.

The storms of life are not signs of God’s absence; they are opportunities to discover how close He truly is. Those who keep faith, Isaiah says, walk securely. Those who practice the teachings of Jesus, He says, stand firm.

So today, we ask for the grace to build our lives on the only foundation that does not fail.

May our trust in God become our strength.

May our daily choices reflect the teachings of Christ.

And when storms arise, may we stand steady—not because of our own power, but because our lives rest on the Rock who never moves.