ROCK:

A  MEDITATION ON ROCK

 INTRODUCTION

The title of my reflection for today is, “Rock: A Meditation on Rock.”

Since today’s two readings give rock a prominent place - as I was preparing some thoughts for  this morning - I said, “Why not put together a short meditation on rock?”

READINGS

The first reading – Isaiah 26: 1-6 - describes the Lord as an eternal rock.

Isaiah says that after saying, “Trust in the Lord forever.”

Okay, I get that.  Isaiah throws in a curve - the opposite.  Beware of being too lofty and overbearing like a mountain. You might be humbled as you tumble down to the ground.   Remember dust is disintegrated rock. Think about it:  you might end up as road - trampled underfoot by the needy -  stepped on by the footsteps of the poor.

Hear that comment: “… the footsteps of the poor.”  That’s 5  words that  I need to do some thinking about - but not now. Today I’m meditating on rock.

And today’s gospel – Matthew 7: 21-27 - has Jesus saying to build your house on rock - not on sand - so that  - when the wind and storms of life - hit your house - you will stand - because you’re built on rock.

TODAY - PICK UP A ROCK AND MEDITATE ON IT

 Walk around your house and find a stone.

I mean inside your house.  You could do this outside, but for starters, try inside your house.

Surprise you spot a small stone on a book shelf.  You ask, “What’s with this stone? What’s the  story about this stone?

It could be a rock from a vacation - or a rock with writing on it - given to you as a gift or a souvenir.

Think of Simon and Garfunkel’s song, “I Am a Rock …. I am an Island.”

Yeah, sometimes people are too cold, too alone, too unfeeling. In those experiences being a rock is negative.  Then there are people who are our rocks - our strength - like the Lord in today’s first reading.

I’ve been to Gibraltar.  If you ever are on a Mediterranean Cruise and Gibraltar is an option - go for it - outside or in.  On the outside, beware of the monkeys – they grab cameras, pocketbooks, packs and food.  On the inside see if you can get down into at least the middle level cave.

It represents security - hence Gibraltar being a symbol for an insurance company.

Contrast rock with opposite objects - like paper and scissors - in that wonderful game: “Rock, Paper, Scissors.”

Think of all the people who have had stones, gossip, words, thrown at them.

Words – hard words – hard sounding air – can hurt.

Picture the lady in the gospel – John 8: 1-11 – who was caught in adultery.

Did she hear the words, “Adulterer!  Sinner!” “This woman was caught in the very act of adultery!” for the rest of her life in that village?

Or did she stay with Jesus words, “Let him without sin cast the first stone”? Or “I don’t condemn you. Go and sin no more.”

Or the story about words that are like bloody rocks are in the gospel story of the guy in the cemetery who was bashing himself with stones. Did he spend his life hitting himself for mistakes or regrets from years past all his life? {[Cf. Mark 5: 5.]

CONCLUSION

So that’s a few ideas to trigger a few ideas inside your head.

That’s what a preacher tries to do.

Let me close with the old joke we used to tell as kids: “Was Goliath, the giant in the bible, surprised when David hit him in the head and killed him with a stone?”

Answer: “Yes! Such a thing had never entered his head before.”