This blog follows the daily bible readings of the Catholic Church:Reading 1, Is 26:1-6

1 That day, this song will be sung in Judah: ‘We have a fortress city, the walls and ramparts provide safety.

2 Open the gates! Let the upright nation come in, the nation that keeps faith!

3 This is the plan decreed: you will guarantee peace, the peace entrusted to you.

4 Trust in the Lord for ever, for he is a rock for ever.

Luthers handwritten MS of Ein Feste Burg ist unser Gott

5 He has brought low the dwellers on the heights, the lofty citadel; he lays it low, brings it to the ground, flings it down in the dust.

6 It will be trodden under foot, by the feet of the needy, the steps of the weak.’

As Luther knew God is our mighty fortress not the fortifications and weaponry we think will save us. Of course there are dangers in trusting God but they are less than those entailed by trusting our defence industry. In spite of the courage,self-sacrifice and killing efficiency of our soldiers, we are not safer for their efforts. The nation that keeps faith takes the risks of faith rather than the risks of violence. The weak will walk over the ruins of our defence systems just as tourists walk over the Great Wall of China.

Gospel, Mt 7:21, 24-27

21 ‘It is not anyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven.

24 ‘Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock.

25 Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock.

26 But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand.

27 Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!’

Foundations of a 1st century Jewish house

An architect friend of mine always points out that Matthew got Jesus’ story wrong whereas Luke (6:47-49) got it right: it’s not the sand that’s the problem-it’s the lack of foundations. It’s a lot easier and flashier to flaunt an instant faith and sing “Lord, Lord,” than to build patiently on Jesus and his teaching a faith that can stand testing. The foundation is not our deeds but Jesus in whom we place our obedient trust.