The Unshakable City of the Soul

Voice over by Carol San San Lwin

Isa 26:1-6; Psalm: 117; Mt 7:21.24-27

Saint John Damascene, priest and doctor of the Church

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, on this memorial of Saint John Damascene, a Doctor of the Church who defended the truth of our faith against fierce opposition, the Word of God speaks to us with profound clarity about the only foundation that can weather the storms of life, both personal and cultural.

The Prophet Isaiah offers a song of salvation: “A strong city have we; God sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.” This city is not made of stone and mortar, but is the community of those who trust in the Lord. Its gates are open not to the proud and the powerful, but to the “just nation which is faithful.” The key to dwelling securely in this city is a childlike trust: “Trust in the Lord forever! For the Lord is an eternal Rock.” He is the unmovable, unshakable foundation. The prophet contrasts this with the fate of the arrogant: “He humbles those in high places, and the lofty city he brings down.” All human structures built on pride are destined to crumble.

This theme finds its ultimate expression in the Gospel. Jesus delivers a warning that cuts to the heart of superficial religiosity. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven,” He declares, “but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” It is not enough to know the right words or to perform religious acts. True discipleship is a matter of obedience, of building our entire lives on the bedrock of Christ’s teaching. The one who hears His words and acts on them is like the wise man who built his house on rock. When the storms of trial, doubt, and suffering come, that house will not fall. But the one who hears and does not act is building on the shifting sand of good intentions alone, and his spiritual life will collapse into ruin.

This is the Catholic faith that Saint John Damascene so brilliantly defended. In the 8th century, when the Iconoclast heresy sought to destroy all sacred images, John stood as a rampart for the truth. He understood that the Incarnation—God becoming visible in Christ—sanctified matter and made images a legitimate aid to worship. He built his defense not on his own opinions, but on the solid rock of Scripture and Tradition. He was a living stone in the city of God, and his work remains a bulwark of orthodoxy to this day. As Pope Benedict XVI said, he reminds us that “God has become visible in Jesus Christ.”

The comfort for us is this: we are invited to live in that strong city. In a world of moral relativism and fleeting trends, we have an eternal Rock. The challenge is to examine the foundation of our own lives. Is our faith a matter of words and Sunday rituals, or does it translate into concrete action—forgiveness, charity, integrity, and prayer?

Let us ask for the intercession of Saint John Damascene. May he help us to be not just hearers of the Word, but doers. May we build our lives so firmly on the Rock of Christ that when the rains of adversity fall and the winds of doubt blow, we will stand firm, citizens of the unshakable city of God. Amen.