Our Sabbath Scripture Stories – 9th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A

Read or listen to this Sunday’s Mass readings here.

  • Deuteronomy 11:18, 26-28
  • Romans 3:21-25a, 28
  • Matthew 7:21-27

Little 4-year-old Hillary came downstairs this morning barely in time for breakfast and the Sabbath Scripture reading for today.  It looked liked she had gotten herself dressed quickly and without much thought.  Her hair was still toussled, and she was still holding on tightly to her baby doll and her new book of nursery rhymes.

“Hillary!” her mother exclaimed.  “It looks like you have lost track of time already this morning!”

“I did!” Hillary giggled.  “I was showing my Betsy Baby Doll the pictures in my new book!  She really likes the ‘Hey-Diddle-Diddle’ and the ‘Humpty-Dumpty’ people!”

Mom smiled.  She was happy that her daughter loved books as much as she did.  Then Dad interrupted Mom’s thoughts when he called out for the reading of the GREATEST book!

“Okay, Family!  It’s time for the Sabbath Scripture reading for today!” Dad chimed.

Everyone scurried in and took their places.  Hillary got to her spot so fast that she still had Betsy Baby Doll and her nursery rhymes book with her.

When everyone was settled, Dad opened to Matthew Chapter 7, Verses 21 through 27.  It was the concluding segment of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount before a crowd of listeners.  Jesus tells the people, “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.”  Then Jesus added, “Everyone who listens to these  words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.”  (Matthew 7:21, 24)

When Dad had finished, Mary Clare was the first to speak up.  “It sounds to me that Jesus is warning everyone that doing God’s will is the way that leads to eternal happiness; not saying, but doing!”

“Yeah,” Vincent added.  “In the words of my favorite football coach, ‘You can’t just talk the talk, you have to walk the walk’ ! ”

“Vincent, you amaze me!” Dad chuckled.  “And that’s exactly right!  Jesus is telling us that mere words and saying you are a follower of Christ is not the same as living as a follower of Christ.”

Mom added, “Some people may seem to be holy people from the outside, yet inside, they are someone else.”

Hillary started to beam.  “Mom!  That’s like the Grandma in ‘Little Red Riding Hood’!  I was showing Betsy that story this morning!”

Mom was so proud of her little daughter for figuring that out.  Mom picked up Hillary and gave her a squeeze.

“That’s right, Honey!” Mom told her.  “The Grandma in the bed sounded nice and acted nice, yet it was really the wolf hiding inside!”

Dad continued, “Then Jesus told the people about building their house on rock.  Who thinks they can tell me why that is important?”

Again, Vincent was the first one to pipe in.  “Taking a lesson from Hillary’s nursery rhyme book, I ask you, was it important to the ‘Three Little Pigs’ to have a house of bricks?”

“Good point, Vincent!” Dad laughed.  “Having a house that can withstand storms, rain, floods, and even huffing and puffing is, indeed, important!”

“And the ‘house’ Jesus is talking about is our faith life,” Mary Clare offered.  “Jesus is using this parable to teach us to stand firm in our faith!”

Mom agreed.  “Jesus invites all of us to follow Him by putting His teachings into practice every day.  Jesus said that these people are very wise.  He said they are like a wise man who builds his house on rock.  When the storms come, or there are trials in our lives, our faith keeps our house standing firm.”

Dad continued, “Then, there are some people who know a lot about Jesus and his teachings, but they do not put them into practice in their life.  Jesus said they are very foolish.  He said they are like a foolish man who builds his house upon the sand.”

“What happens then, Daddy?” Hillary asked.

“Let me answer!” Vincent volunteered.  He turned to his sister and said, “A big storm is coming … whoosh!  There is the house … there is the sand … and then … SPLAT!”  Vincent clapped his hands hard together once as he said the word.

Poor Lucy jumped back at the sound.  Vincent’s loud, charging noise and the harsh clap at the same time frightened her.  Then she spoke.

 “So when the storms come, their house goes ‘splat’?”  Lucy asked.

“That’s right, Lucy!”  This time Vincent got even closer to his sister and clapped even louder to emphasize the point.  “SPLAT!”

“Ohhhhhhhhh!” Lucy sighed with a wide-eyed awareness she didn’t have before.

Vincent smiled at his sister.  He knew she would remember this Gospel lesson.  Then he turned to the rest of the family and, in a very gentle voice, said, “So, the way I figure it, Jesus is telling us to be good builders … of our souls, of course!  Is that about right?”

Mom and Dad were still in stunned amazement over Vincent’s latest demonstration.  The sound of Vincent’s thunderous clap and the startled look in Lucy’s eyes were still on their minds.

Finally Mom spoke up.  “Vincent, I don’t think your dad and I have ever really experienced this reading with such force before!”

Vincent’s eyes grew big and bright.  The wheels in his brain were buzzing.  You could tell he had come up with a great idea.

“Well, let’s get going to Mass early!” Vincent reasoned as he grabbed his coat.  “Look at the effect I had on Lucy and the rest of you!  I think that maybe I should share my ‘splat’ tactic with Father Jon so he can add it to the homily!  The whole church will feel it then!  What do you think?”

No one answered … I wonder why!

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Cycle A, 9 OT, SSSDownload

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