We built this city

Rome was not built in a day, nor was the complex of structures that make up our lives.

Each of us over the years has built up our individual lives as a city: with overlapping sections, histories, and directions within ourselves.

The question posed by today’s readings is: how strong is your city?

We may think we are secure, but we should seriously and honestly consider our situation anew as we hear our Lord’s words in today’s Gospel (Matthew 7:21, 24-27 – verses 22-23 also included below):

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

"Many will say to me on that day,
'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?'

"Then I will declare to them solemnly,
'I never knew you.
Depart from me, you evildoers.'

“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.”

(Lord Jesus Christ, son of the living God, be merciful to me – a sinner)

May God give us the grace to build the houses and cities of our lives strongly upon him alone: the rock that holds firm forever (as we hear in today’s first reading – Isaiah 26:1-6):

“A strong city have we;
he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
Open up the gates
to let in a nation that is just,
one that keeps faith.
A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;
in peace, for its trust in you.”

Trust in the LORD forever!
For the LORD is an eternal Rock.
He humbles those in high places,
and the lofty city he brings down;
He tumbles it to the ground,
levels it with the dust.
It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
by the footsteps of the poor.