“The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord…” A beautiful hymn we sing from time to time as the priest processes toward the altar. These words serve as an important reminder of who we are to build our lives upon.
It takes careful planning and diligence when constructing even a small house. What tools will I need? What materials are going to be most suitable for this environment? The most critical step in the preparation process is deciding what this house will be built on. If the foundation proves to be solid the house will not be in danger of collapsing. However, if the foundation is weak then it will shake with the coming of every minor storm, and in the midst of a great storm, this house will fall.
How much more meaningful then is the preparation and diligence when planning to build our lives. St. Paul describes how we are God’s building and that we must be careful as to how we build ourselves (1 Cor 3: 9-10). Our bodies, which are ourselves, are temples. The Holy Spirit dwells in us. This, at the very least, gives us new eyes as we glance at the mirror and a new love when glancing at our neighbor. We must not, therefore, lay a false foundation upon which we build our lives. If the Holy Spirit is to dwell in me, shouldn’t I make myself hospitable? If I am to do so, it is a necessity that I am built upon a solid truth. There is no foundation but the one foundation: Jesus Christ. When we construct our lives knowing He is the force that keeps us standing we avoid believing the lies that accompany a false freedom.
So will you build your life on something?
Or will you build your life on someone; namely Christ?
Benjamin serves as the Music Minister and Youth Minister at Our Lady Queen of Peace in Branchville, NJ. He teaches Children’s Theatre at the Paper Mill Playhouse and is a Catholic songwriter that has given talks on Confirmation, How to Keep the Faith in College, and The Courage to Choose Life. He can be reached at benjamintyates@gmail.com.
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