Billy The Bird

We have a therapy cockatiel named Billy at work. Billy loves to sit on my shoulder because I always sing to him. When he hears my voice, he will fly directly over to me so that we can have a jam session. When I am teaching him a song that he has never heard before he tilts his head all the way over so that his ear is bent toward the sound. He listens first, then immediately tries to mimic what he heard. It is the darndest thing. He’s a quick study and this week’s song was Jingle Bells. I sang it for him several times as he bent his ear and then as I kept singing he would chime in with a whistled attempt at the new melody while bobbing his head to the rhythm. He knows several songs including Another Bites The Dust by Queen and Billy and I are quite the musical duet around the retirement home. Now if I can just teach him some Broadway show tunes we can audition for America’s Got Talent! Today’s gospel brought Billy’s bent ear to mind, “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.” When Billy listens he points his ear toward the sound and then he immediately acts out what he heard. This gives me a perfect visual for a prayer life. Prayer is a bending toward the voice of God, a leaning into the heart of God, and a bowing under the weight of glory. This posture of bending, leaning, and bowing allows us to point our ears, our hearts, and our wills toward the one teaching us, just like when Billy sits on my shoulder to sing. Jesus wants us to stand on his shoulders and hear the Word that will give us a solid footing, a sturdy perch, and a firm foundation. Once we can stand firmly, then we can choose wisely, and wisdom gives us the grounding we need to withstand the pommeling that often comes with life. 

There are two parts to today’s message: first listen, then act. We need to learn the tune before we can sing it, but we most definitely need to sing. Jesus came that we might have an abundant life and the key to that abundance is in His Word. Scripture is the primary source of His Word and in the hearing of it, we build up the ground beneath us, but in the acting of it, we gain the wisdom to stand on it when the trials come. Hearing God’s voice in our prayer time widens our stance and tightens our muscles so that we don’t collapse under the storms of this world. It’s a beautiful image for us to ponder during this season of Advent. I was out and about this weekend and heard the Christmas music playing and realized that the Word was being proclaimed through it. “In excelsis Deo!” (“Glory to God in the highest”) Luke 2:14. Advent is a time for us to lean in, to bend our ear, and to bow in honor to the one voice that will teach us the tune of eternal life. Fly to Him, perch yourself on His shoulder, bend your ear to His voice, and sing. It is well with my soul.  

Reading 1 IS 26:1-6

On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah:

"A strong city have we;
he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
Open up the gates
to let in a nation that is just,
one that keeps faith.
A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;
in peace, for its trust in you."

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.

Responsorial Psalm PS 118:1 AND 8-9, 19-21, 25-27A

R.(26a)  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, 
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes. 
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This gate is the LORD's;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia IS 55:6

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call him while he is near.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 7:21, 24-27

Jesus said to his disciples:
"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.

"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. 
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand. 
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house. 
And it collapsed and was completely ruined."