December 3, 2009
Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, priest
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. Isaiah 26:4-5
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
Lord, let the house of Virginia show that by our words and deeds, your mercy endures forever. We can turn in many directions for safety and shelter. However, give us the fortitude to turn always to you. Amen.
Study
Not four days into our time of preparation and we can already hear the not-too-faint allusions to the words and deeds of Mary in the proclamations of the prophet Isaiah and in the words we hear from the Lord recounted by St. Matthew. The values, professed in the first reading, psalm response and Gospel will carry us through the season and beyond.
First, we hear about the value of full reliance on God setting us up to meet his humble servant Mary. Isaiah says: “Trust in the Lord forever!” Mary echoes in her words and actions: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
Second, we hear about the Lord leveling out the power structure and empower the poor. The path of the just is made level by bringing down the powerful and supporting those who have no social, economic or political power. Isaiah 26:5-6 proclaims: “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.” Mary echoes: “He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty.” (Luke 1:51-53)
Jesus offers the fitting conclusion by remind us that the words alone will not open the gates of heaven for us. That key is contained in our actions. “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)
Action
How are we building our houses?
Back in 1992, when the Category 5 Hurricane Andrew swept ashore in the Miami area, many of the remote cities and towns farther away from the city were hit hardest. However, because there were no television stations in places like Homestead and normal lines of communication were down, it was days before the rest of the nation knew how bad conditions were.
The U.S. Army sent personnel to erect a tent city where people lived until their homes could be rebuilt by the homeowners or insurance companies or contractors. As we drove through the affected area – as best we could considering the extent of damage and debris strewn throughout the area – one observation which became apparent was that some homes in the hardest hit region survived the worst storm damage. Upon further review, these were built by Habitat for Humanity volunteers and were still standing. It turns out that their plans used stronger engineering with studs closer together and building materials stronger than the South Florida building codes required of the developers.
It turns out that Habitat for Humanity was trying to build on rock. Better materials, better planning and the sweat equity of the future homeowner and the volunteer community was a formula for success not only in life but also against the ravaging forces of nature.
Since that experience, we have witnessed the ravages of the South Asian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and countless other storms here and abroad which have left millions homeless. There may be as many as 50,000 people who never moved back to New Orleans after the post-Katrina flooding.
Shelter – be if for storm victims or for an expectant Jewish couple making their way on the back of a donkey from Nazareth to Bethlehem – was and is a major concern. Please consider offering your volunteer service to an organization which provides shelter to the poor this season. Here are just a few local organizations if you need suggestions:
www.dchabitat.org
www.jubileehousing.org
www.catholicsforhousing.org
www.mannadc.org
