December 4
What Are You Counting On?

Readings: Isaiah 26:1-6 / Matthew 7:21, 24-27

Setting the Scene

Jesus has just finished the Sermon on the Mount, the most comprehensive teaching on Kingdom life ever given. And He ends with a warning that lands like a punch: It's not enough to call Him "Lord." It's not enough to prophesy, cast out demons, or do mighty deeds in His name. What matters is doing the will of the Father.

Then He tells a parable everyone knows: two builders, two houses, two foundations. Same storm hits both houses. One stands. One falls. The difference? What it was built on.

Rock or sand. That's the choice.

Isaiah echoes it: "Trust in the Lord forever! For the Lord is an eternal Rock." A strong city with firm walls. Gates that open for the righteous nation that keeps faith. But the lofty city, the one built on pride and power? "He humbles it to the ground, levels it to the dust."

The Heart of It

"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."

What are you counting on?

Be honest. When you imagine standing before God, what's your defense? What's your resume? "I went to church every Sunday"? "I prayed the rosary daily"? "I served on many committees"? "I gave money"? "I never did anything really bad"?

Because Jesus is saying that people will stand before Him listing their impressive credentials: prophecy, exorcisms, miracles, and He'll say it meant nothing. It wasn't what the Father asked for.

Maybe the Father asked for something simple: reconcile with your brother. Apologize to your spouse. Tell the truth even when it costs you. Stop gossiping. Forgive your parent. Share your resources. Show up for the person everyone else ignores.

And maybe you didn't do it. Because you were too busy doing other "important" things. Too busy being religious to actually obey.

Here's the devastating possibility: You can have an impressive spiritual resume and still be a stranger to Jesus. You can do a hundred things He never asked for while ignoring the one thing He did ask for.

So, what is He asking you to do? Not yesterday. Not in some vague future. Today. Right now. What is the will of the Father for you in this season, in this relationship, in this struggle?

And are you doing it? Or are you just saying "Lord, Lord" while building your life on your own blueprint?

The two builders heard the same teaching. One heard and acted. The other heard and... built anyway, but on sand. Same effort. Same blueprint. Different foundation.

When the storm comes, and it always comes, the foundation is revealed.

What are you building your life on?

For Your Reflection

These might sting. Let them.

About Foundations:

  • What is your life actually built on: God's word, or your own plans with God's blessing attached?
  • If everything external were stripped away; your roles, your reputation, your accomplishments, your bank accounts, what would be left?
  • What storm has revealed cracks in your foundation?

About Doing vs. Saying:

  • Where is there a gap between what you profess and what you practice?
  • What's one teaching of Jesus you admire but don't actually live?
  • Are you more comfortable talking about faith or doing it?

About Judgment:

  • Jesus says some will claim mighty deeds in His name, and He'll say, "I never knew you." Does that terrify you? Why or why not?
  • What are you counting on to get you into the Kingdom?
  • Is your confidence in what you've done for God, or what God has done for you?

About Trust:

  • Isaiah says, "Trust in the Lord forever!" Is your trust theoretical or tested?
  • When the storm hits, what do you reach for first: control, or Jesus?
  • What would it look like to build today's decisions on the Rock?

Praying the Luminous Mysteries

Today, pray through the moments when Jesus revealed the solid foundation of truth:

The Baptism - The Father declares the Rock: "This is my beloved Son."
The Wedding at Cana - Jesus reveals His glory -the foundation of all miracles.
Proclaiming the Kingdom - "Repent and believe" - the bedrock message.
The Transfiguration - Peter wants to build - Jesus shows what's worth building on.
The Institution of the Eucharist - "This is my body" - the ultimate foundation, the Rock we consume.

Each mystery reveals what's real, what lasts, what holds when the storm comes. The Luminous Mysteries are Jesus saying: Build here. Build on me. Build on what I'm showing you.

A Quiet Challenge

Francis rebuilt the church of San Damiano stone by stone. It was hard, physical, unglamorous work. He didn't just pray about it. He didn't just talk about renewal. He picked up rocks.

What San Damiano is Jesus asking you to rebuild? What hard, unglamorous obedience is in front of you that you keep talking about instead of doing?

Closing

Pray this like your foundation depends on it:

"Lord, I've said 'Lord, Lord' so many times. I've admired Your words. I've agreed with Your teachings. But have I built my life on them? Search me. Show me where I'm building on sand. Tear down what needs tearing down. Rebuild me on the Rock, on doing Your will, not just applauding it."

Then ask:

  • What's one teaching from Jesus I need to stop admiring and start doing?
  • Where am I trusting my own strength instead of the eternal Rock?
  • What storm is revealing my true foundation right now?

Stay honest. Stay building. Stay on the Rock.

Thursday of the First Week of Advent
December 4, 2025
A Franciscan Reflection


©2025 James Dacey, Jr., OFS

Location: Tonawanda, NY 14150, USA

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