Will your house be washed away by the rains because you built your house on sand instead of on rock --- the rock of God's Word?  So, build your house on God’s Word.  Build your life on what God has told you.  And what has God told you?  That He is the Lord your God.  You will have no gods before Him.

Topics Presented 

	We frequently commit the very grievous sin of idolatry.
	The reasons why we habitually commit the sin of idolatry so often.
	Papal encyclicals state that Catholics have a duty to study the Bible.
	Prayer is not talking to God --- prayer is listening to God.
	In essence, Jesus tells us to:  "Sit down, shut up and listen!"

	Full Single Video (on Google web site) is Embedded In Page Below
	2-Part Video on YouTube is Embedded In Page Below:- Part 1 Part 2
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	Audio version only
	1st Reading
	Psalm
	2nd Reading
	Gospel
	Written Transcript of Homily
	Footnotes

Summary - Missing Intro:

Fr. Simon began with today's Gospel story - house built on sand... washed away when floods come.

He then explains that in the Holy Land you can find nice lush green areas where there is grass and maybe a little water in a stream. People don't live there and herders might have to make a daily trip down to these areas leading their flocks for grazing, and go back every evening. They would save a lot of travel if they just lived in these valleys. But these aren't really valleys, they are rivers. A house built there would end up in the Dead Sea when the rains came.

Then Fr. Simon states that we tend to put our wants first. In brief, if we put our convenience first... that would lead to being washed away. We build on solid ground when we build with God's Word as the foundation.

The video clip begins where Fr. Simon is stating that it is...... [please start video clip now]

Fr. Simon began with today's Gospel story - house built on sand... washed away when floods come.

He then explains that in the Holy Land you can find nice lush green areas where there is grass and maybe a little water in a stream. People don't live there and herders might have to make a daily trip down to these areas leading their flocks for grazing, and go back every evening. They would save a lot of travel if they just lived in these valleys. But these aren't really valleys, they are rivers. A house built there would end up in the Dead Sea when the rains came.

Then Fr. Simon states that we tend to put our wants first. In brief, if we put our convenience first... that would lead to being washed away. We build on solid ground when we build with God's Word as the foundation.

The video clip begins where Fr. Simon is stating that it is....

[homily already in progress - the recording begins with] .... who meets our requirements.

We commit idolatry.

When anything or anyone in our life....

Anything or anyone is more important than our relationship with the Almighty....

With God the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ....

That’s idolatry.

And it is one of the capital sins.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus said to the disciples at the Last Supper....

That they were His gift to the Father.

We think of God’s gift to us....

We’re always talking about how good God has been to us.

We’re talking about what God has given me.

Or asking God to give me what I want or need.

But we don’t understand Jesus said that we are His gift to God.

You exist to be a gift for God.

Isn't that interesting.

Have you ever thought of that?

The Bible says that you exist as a gift for God.

Scripture says He has made all things for His pleasure.

You belong to Him.

And God wants to enjoy you.

As you want to enjoy your children.

Children, believe it or not....

When they’re not yelling at you - - - your parents enjoy you.

They will enjoy it when they are old and you come to visit....

They will even probably cook for you.

They enjoy you.

God wants to be able to enjoy you.

You were made to be a gift for God.

But you and I , we seek other gods --- gods of our own convenience.

And when the storm comes, we’re swept away.

Because we have built our house down where the grass is green....

And all we have....

All we cherish....

And all we are - - - is gone.

So, build your house on God’s Word.

Build your life on what God has told you.

And what has God told you?

That He is the Lord your God.

You will have no gods before Him.

You know, we hear the Great Commandments:

"Love God"

and

"Love your neighbor."

We forget --- that’s the second part of the Great Commandment.

The pharisees asked Jesus.....

Or rather it was a lawyer who asked Jesus:

"What is the greatest commandment?"

And Jesus said:

"Love God and love your neighbor."

Those are the second half of the Great Commandment.

Because if you look in the scripture, it starts, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is One."

Or better translated, I think, "The Lord your God is God alone, Only God is God."

"Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is One."

In other words, the Great Commandment is.....

"Sit down, shut up and listen!"

Well, that isn't very polite.

Well, I”m always telling you:

God has this problem --- He thinks He’s God.

And 99% of what God is going to do in my life.... and yours....

Is to make the point that He’s God and I’m not.

Any relationship I have to persons or things.....

That is more valuable to me than God - - - is an idolatry.

And I am an idolater.

I grudgingly give God a little time in prayer.

I grudgingly listen to God speak in my life.

To expect more from a human being then humanity is idolatry.

Let me explain that.

You fall in love.

There’s your first mistake, usually.

But, you fall in love

And you come home....

And you say, “Mom, he’s perfect."

"He only has a few tattoos and body piercings."

"‘Dad, she’s perfect."

"I know she chews a lot of gum and says ‘whatever’ but she’s wonderful."

Well, you get married.

I'm not very romantic, am I?

You get married --- and you know what?

You find out she’s not perfect.

He’s not perfect.

He leaves the cap off the toothpaste.

She likes to sleep with the window closed and a lot of blankets.

"I didn't know you liked cats!"

That sort of thing.

You find out he’s not perfect --- she’s not perfect.

And you get angry at each other.

I know nobody here, of course, but you get angry at each other.

And you find that the perfect relationship is more bickering and arguing....

Than it is hugging and kissing.

And you know why?

Because you expected from that person the perfection that can only come from God.

Your children, you see them in the hospital in the bassinet....

And you think, this kid’s perfect.

They’re gonna grow up to be brain surgeons.

Well, guess what, they grow up, and are not quite what you expected.

None of you will admit that publicly.

But every once in a while, your kids disappoint you.

And parents, you disappoint your kids.

It is idolatry to expect from a human being what you can only get from God.

Do you understand what I mean?

We are all idolaters, all of sin, all falling short of the glory of God.

And, meanwhile, there is a perfect relationship waiting for us.

And that is our friendship with God.

But, we don’t understand what friendship with God is.

We come before God, when we come before Him, and we talk, talk, talk.

And tell God what we want, and what we need, and what our sorrows are.

And we never listen to Him.

Build your house on God’s Word, the scripture says today.

How can you build your house on God’s Word, when you don’t hear God’s Word?

Sit down, shut up and listen!

When do you find time to hear God?

I’m really yelling at myself... because I’m not as prayerful as I should be.

When do you have silence in your life?

And I ask this quite honestly...

How are you studying the Bible?

You have a moral responsibility to study the Bible.

I do?

Yes --- you do.

Because the normal way of God speaking is the scripture.

And a Catholic has a duty to study the Bible.

That’s in papal encyclicals --- I’m not making this up.

So how are you studying the Bible?

You’re at a parish with three Bible studies a week.

You might not want to go to them?

Fine, so I ask you, how are you studying the Bible?

How are you fulfilling your moral responsibility to hear God?

You think that prayer is talking to God?

Ha! that’s the smaller part of it.

Prayer is listening to God.

Jesus said to the disciples, when they asked Him to teach them how to pray:

He said "Do not pray like the pagans...."

"Who think by the multiplication of words, that they will be heard."

"Your Heavenly Father knows before you ask what you need."

So why ask?

Because prayer is not just simply asking.

Prayer is listening.

Prayer is hearing God.

And, sometimes, He has a difficult time getting us on our knees.

So I ask you --- I ask myself:

In what way am I fulfilling my moral obligation to hear God?

Because if I do not hear Him, I cannot obey Him.

If I do not hear Him....

I will seek that consolation which can only come from the love of God....

In other gods.....

If I do not hear Him....

I cannot build my house on the rock of His Word.

And I will be swept away....

Because I have only sought only my own convenience.

So, let us pray today that we are able to hear God.

To be attentive to Him speaking in our hearts and lives.

Because, if we do not, when we face the day of our death....

We will be swept away as if by a torrent.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.