The Gospel reading for the Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time is taken from the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus concludes His teaching with the parable about the wise and foolish men. The wise man builds his house upon the rock, and the foolish man builds his house upon the sand. The wind and rain test the work of both men. Only the wise man who builds upon the Rock of Christ has a house that stands after the storm. We, too, are urged to listen to Christ and act upon His Word in order to build our lives. Otherwise, like the foolish man, we may watch all we have built be washed away when the storms come to test us.

Readings:

Deuteronomy 11:18, 26–28
Psalm 31:2–4, 17, 25
Romans 3:21–25, 28
Matthew 7:21–27

Here are a few commentaries on these readings:

• The House Upon the Rock - Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa


• St. Charles Borromeo Lectionary Site (PDF)


• Solid Rock (Also available to be heard as an MP3) from St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology


• Faith vs. Works from The Crossroads Initiative