Dear friends,

In Jesus’ time everyone knew that it was foolish to build your house on sand at the bottom of the valley rather than on the rock high above.

After every heavy rain a torrent of water forms almost immediately that sweeps away everything in its path. Jesus uses this observation to create today’s parable about the two houses.

In Hebrew and Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus house is called “beit” and means at the same time: “Family, house and Temple, the house where God dwells”

“Building your house on sand” means placing your hopes and certainties in unstable and unpredictable things that cannot stand the test of the ups and downs of life.

Sand stands for:”Money, success, power, personal health and other similar realities. Good in themselves, but not permanent and stable. Sickness and bad luck can change our lives drastically and in not time, as experience shows us.

“Building your house on rock: means, on the contrary, to stake your life and hopes on that which “thieves cannot steal nor rust corrodes,” on that which does not pass away. “Heaven and earth will pass away,” Jesus said, “but my words shall not pass away.”

Building your house on rock means quite simply building on God and on His word. He is the rock.

The house built on rock is the Church. Obviously it is not the one built of bricks and mortar but that made up of “living stones,” (Christians) built upon the cornerstone, who is Christ Jesus.

To build one’s life upon rock therefore means to live in the Church; pulling up our sleeves and join in the building.

We just heard as Jesus contends that it is not enough simply to say “Lord, Lord” to belong to Him. Rather we must hear Jesus’ wise teachings and also act upon them. Those who hear the teachings and act upon them will be like one “who built his house on rock.”

From the outside the two houses look the same, but they are not. As the same are the tempests and tests: wind, rain, floods. Both promise shelter and protection, but the one built on the wrong foundation can give none.

The rock on which to build our house is the experience that God loves me, the whole of me. This experience enables us to find joy and peace and helps us to build a church, a faith community where everybody is welcome; everybody is loved and cared for. This is what we strive to do at St. Therese.

Many are working very hard at building this community: catechists, music ministry, Finance Committee, Parish Council, Youth Ministry, Cleaning Crew of Saturday to mention but few of these hidden workers. They are blessed: they have built their house on the rock.

Some others prefer to sit on the fence, to watch and give verbal encouragement. They show up from time to time congratulating the hard workers on their achievements: “Good job!” “Well done!” “I enjoy the celebration” “Great food!” and then they disappear.
Their compliments at times have the ringing tone of mockery.

They have built their house on the sand, they will crush under the weight of the inevitable crosses that life brings. We are sorry for them and we encourage them to join the wise guys who are at work and busy in building our community. After all, working together is FUN!
Next Sunday we shall celebrate something that I intended always to do: to have a Sunday set aside to express our appreciation to these hard-workers of the Church. We shall have it next Sunday.
After the Chinese translation of the homily some parents of the children who were confirmed yesterday, would like to recognize the work that Joe and Cesare did for their children. Cesare is seemingly leaving us today. Most probably he intended to tip-toe away, according to is style. We can not let him go without saying him a big “Thank You” for the three years he has spent with us and for his dedication to this church.  We promise him our prayer.