Rock on

Today’s first reading (Isaiah 26:1-6) ends with the dramatic image from the ruins of a once-lofty city:

It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
by the footsteps of the poor.

This, however, is not a Marxist vision of proletariatian victory, especially when the first reading, which speaks earlier of a strong city set up and maintained by the Lord, and the Gospel (Matthew 7:21,24-27):

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.

The rich and powerful in this world tend to base their lives on their worldly wealth and power rather than on the Lord. Thus they go astray and set themselves up for eternal ruin.

On the other hand, those who are poor and weak in this world – lacking resources and worldly power – may more easily recognize that God is the secure rock on which to build their lives and their hopes.

However, the poor in money are not always the poor in spirit. Last week, a working class woman who had won 65 million dollars in a lottery 5 years ago was found dead. The earthly riches had not brought happiness.

On what do we base our lives and hopes?

Trust in the LORD forever!
For the LORD is an eternal Rock.