December 7, 2017: St. Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor
- 'Music' tie: They'll sing this song... (1st reading)
- 'Peace sign' tie bar: You keep the nation in peace, for its trust in you (1st reading)
- 'Feet' pin: The needy trample the lofty city underfoot (1st reading)
- 'Boundless mercy' pin: The Lord's mercy endures forever (psalm)
- 'Street lamp' tie bar: The Lord God has given us light (psalm)
- 'Rock' tie pin: The Lord is an eternal Rock (1st reading); wise man built his house on rock (gospel)
- White shirt: St. Ambrose; see this year's liturgical calendar/ordo
- Purple suspenders: Advent season
For the gospel
- The wise man and the foolish man/ Omley: lyrics+
- Don't build your house on the sandy land/ Lafferty (of Seek ye first fame): about
- Are you building on the Rock?/ Warren: lyrics+
For 1st reading
- Thou dost keep him in perfect peace/ St. Michael le Belfrey
- How glorious Sion's courts appear/ Watts: lyrics+
- Prince of Peace, control my will/ Barber: lyrics+
- Trust in the Lord forever/ Fabing
10 for Psalm 118
St. Ambrose
- Is 26:1-6 In Judah they'll sing: “God sets up walls and ramparts to protect us. Let in a just nation, one that trusts in you.” Trust in the Lord, an eternal Rock! He humbles those in high places; the poor and needy trample the lofty city.
- Ps 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." The Lord is good; his mercy endures forever. Take refuge in the Lord. I'll enter the gates of justice and thank the Lord who answered and saved me. The Lord has given us light.
- Mt 7:21, 24-27 “Only those who do my Father's will will enter the Kingdom. Everyone who acts on these words will be like one who built his house on rock, but those who don't will be like fools who built on sand.”
Reflect
- Fr. Jim Clarke homily video: Go beyond words to sacrament, daily action. You may be the only scripture some will read!
- Creighton: Matthew invites to live our faith, hope, and love like Jesus, to serve as he did. Today's gospel says we need to back up our words of love with consistent, firm actions that tell the Jesus story. As we hear and respond to the gospel, virtues flourish. In today's parable we either build on rock or sand. One remains firm; the other collapses. We're challenged to make Jesus the foundation of our faith, hope, and love. The Sermon on the Mount includes both the Beatitudes and the Our Father, hallmarks of the disciple, guides to Christian living. We're invited to focus on Christ the Rock, hearing him and heeding his call to serve....
- One Bread, One Body: "Obey or fall": Our lives are built on rock if we hear and do God's word. If we don't live the beatitudes and meet Jesus' standards, we won't persevere in our relationship with Jesus but fold. We must be a Church of the poor living the Beatitudes (Redemptoris missio 60) and the Sermon on the Mount.
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| St. Ambrose, maybe made when he was alive |
- Passionist: If we concentrate on telling each other good news, we can “listen to and act on" Jesus' words and remain firm.
- DailyScripture.net: "Who shall enter the kingdom of heaven?" A strong city and a secure house were built on rock to withstand the nature and attack. God is the rock of refuge and deliverance in whom there's no wrong. Jesus invites us to stake our lives on the coming of his kingdom. Jesus likely had in mind, "When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm." The foundation we build determines how we survive upcoming storms. Builders usually lay their foundations when the weather and soil conditions are at their best. It takes foresight to know how a foundation will stand up against adverse conditions. The only way to prove your sincerity is by your practice. Our choices reveal our character. May I build on the Rock, listen to him, and be honest and reliable before God, others, and myself.
- Universalis: Ambrose of Milan, bishop, hymn writer, helped convert St. Augustine.
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