It did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock

6 DECEMBER (Mt 7,21.24-27)

According to the Ancient Scriptures God is the rock. He in his truth, in his Word, in his Commandments, in his Law; is the one. He is built on the rock that is God who is founded in his holy Word. Who lives in justice and truth. Who observes his Commandments. Who listens to his Word. Who invokes him with most pure faith.

“I love You, O LORD, my strength.” The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies. The cords of death encompassed me, And the torrents of ungodliness terrified me. The cords of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears. Then the earth shook and quaked; And the foundations of the mountains were trembling And were shaken, because He was angry. Smoke went up out of His nostrils, And fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down With thick darkness under His feet. He rode upon a cherub and flew; And He sped upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. From the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds, Hailstones and coals of fire. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire. He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them. Then the channels of water appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare At Your rebuke, O LORD, At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.

He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my stay. He brought me forth also into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me. The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, And have not wickedly departed from my God. For all His ordinances were before me, And I did not put away His statutes from me. I was also blameless with Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity. (Psalm 18 (17),1-24).

In the New Testament the rock is Jesus Christ. Peter is also the Rock. They are not two separate and distinct rocks: one is Christ and the other is Peter. They are one and only rock. Jesus Christ is the invisible part, Peter is the visible part. Christ is the Word and Peter is the truth of the Word. Christ is the truth and grace, and Peter is the instrument of the gift of the truth and grace. Christ is the source of life giving water for eternal life, and Peter is the giver in time of this sanctity, regeneration and true communion.

“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. “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.”

When are we founded on the rock that is Christ? When we live in his Word, with his Word, for his Word. When we are immersed in the Word of Jesus, we are in a bunker of true salvation. Nothing and no one might ever knock us down. Jesus clothes us with his wisdom; the Holy Spirit with his strength and the Father of heaven hides us in his heart. Christ becomes our invincible armour.

On the contrary, if we are not in the Word of Jesus, because we do not observe it; evil conquers us and every day we are prey to Satan. Temptation overcomes us and sin consumes us. Our spiritual home falls to pieces not because strong and vigorous winds have blown, or because rivers have over flown, but because a whisper of temptation has passed before our heart and we have miserably fallen, failing our lives. But never might this happen when we are surrounded by the Word inside and out. The Word in itself contains Christ Jesus who instantly becomes our powerful defense against the wiles of the evil one. Christ and the Word are one. Christ is the Word.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints make us be one with the Word. We want our house to be stable and lasting forever.