The Footsteps of the Poor

December 6, 2007

Thursday of the First Week of Advent

Trust in the LORD forever! For the LORD is an eternal Rock. He humbles those in high places, and the lofty city he brings down; He tumbles it to the ground, levels it with the dust. It is trampled underfoot by the needy, by the footsteps of the poor. Isaiah 26:4-6

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. Matthew 7:24-25

Piety

(From “Simply simple prayer” by William R. Matthews which appeared in Spiritual Life, Winter, 1999 .)

“We pretend prayer is a complicated act. Simple is a gift, says the old Shaker hymn (as is Shaker furniture, solid and beautiful in its design and construction).”

It's a gift to be simple

It's a gift to be free

It's a gift to come down

Where you ought to be

And when you see yourself in a way that is right

You will live in a valley of love and delight!

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/120607.shtml

“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.” Matthew 7:21

Matthew picks up right where the readings from Luke left off in the last liturgical cycle reinforcing the themes of listening, obedience and action during the Advent season.

Jesus will come to know his share of rejection on his way to becoming a cornerstone. Until then, he warns that many of us also face the possibility of rejection. Here we have a clear warning that those who do not listen and act will be rejected from heaven. The natural order of the world is upset, reversed, stood on end, time after time and today’s readings give just the latest example. Today’s headline writers would have a field day with this story just like they revel whenever the rich and powerful make a misstep.

Those in High Places Humbled…details at ten.

Lofty City Turned to Dust…right after these words from our sponsor.

Sometimes rejection happens in a big and noticeable manner especially if you have economic power (Michael Milken, Kenneth Lay, Bernie Ebbers), political standing (Larry Craig, Bill Clinton, Marion Barry), or athletic prowess (O.J. Simpson, Pete Rose, Tanya Harding, Michael Vick), or show business talent (Michael Jackson, Madonna, Alec Baldwin).

When have you felt rejection from a social, business or family group? Our rejection may not be so public. The rejection we know may come from being dismissed from a job, losing out on a promotion, or not being picked for the special assignment by the boss. We can deliver rejection, as well, in our tone of voice, the look in our eyes, or a dismissive gesture.

Today, our culture thrives on the battle to separate the winners or losers. From Survivor China to the Amazing Race, from the Iowa Caucuses to the NFL Playoffs, from the Beijing Olympics to Ultimate Cage Fighting, everything boils down to who will win, who will be out, or who will Trump fire net. But is the ultimate sin really whether we get voted off the island? Do we really care if “the tribe has spoken” or what they have said?

Our job is not to follow what the tribe says or the crowd does. Instead, we are asked to follow the Holy One who will go before us to open wide the gates to the Kingdom of Heaven. When you arrive, will those doors be swinging open? You have it in your control if you do the “will of the Father.”

Action

Jesus is not selling you cars, or diamonds, or DVDs or sporting goods this month. He has a very different message. Can you hear it through the commercial banter? If you hear his voice, what can you set on rock?

Instead of making Christmas a commercial success, make it a spiritual success. Try celebrating this Christmas in a little more simple fashion this year. Visit the Simple Living website for Ten Tips for a Simpler, More Meaningful Christmas. http://www.simpleliving.org/indexoth.php?place=archives/Calendar/Calendar.php#December