Advent: Week 1-Day 5

"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." These words from Our Lord in today's Gospel remind us that it is not enough for us to simply profess the name of Jesus if we deny Him by our lifestyle. He goes on to tell the parable of the two men who build there houses, one on sand and the other on rock. When the storms come, the man whose house is built on sand is blown away (literally, not figuratively); but the man whose house is built on rock remans firm, solid, and safe. 

The Christmas story as we know it only happens because Our Lady and St. Joseph follow the will of God in all things. They do what God tells them, and they follow His will most perfectly, no matter how hard and no matter what it requires from them. You and I can often try to resist God's will in our life, but we do so only to our own detriment. His will is the very thing that brings us our own freedom and salvation, just as the faithful obedience of Mary and Joseph brings the Source of all salvation into the world. 

When we surrender our will to God's, we are the like the wise man who builds his house on rock. If our life is built on anything else (our selfishness, our ego, our guilty pleasures, our sense of control, etc.), we will be like the man who builds his house on sand. And when the storms of our life threaten us, our foundation will not be strong enough to sustain us.

As you prepare your hearts for Christ this Christmas, ask yourself what you are building your life on? Make room for Jesus this Advent to be your one and only foundation. Build your life on Him, and follow His will in all things, like Our Lady and St. Joseph. Then even the worst storms of your life can't hurt you.

Pax Vobiscum