Today Jesus tells us a very simple story.
Two people build a house.
One builds on rock.
One builds on sand.
At first, both houses probably look fine. From the outside, you might not notice much difference. They may have the same walls, the same roof, the same windows. Everything seems alright.
But then the storm comes.
The rain falls.
The wind blows.
The floods rise.
And suddenly the truth is revealed.
The house built on rock stands firm.
The house built on sand falls down.
Jesus is not really giving us a lesson about building houses. He is speaking about building our lives.
Each one of us is building a life. Every day. At school, at home, with our friends, online, in the choices we make, in the way we speak, in the way we treat others. Brick by brick, choice by choice, we are building the kind of person we are becoming.
And Jesus asks us today: what are you building your life on?
Some people build on popularity. They think, “As long as people like me, I’ll be happy.”
Some people build on looking good, being clever, winning, being noticed, getting their own way.
But Jesus says those foundations are like sand. They may seem strong for a while, but when life becomes difficult, they do not hold us up.
The rock is different.
The rock is Jesus himself.
The rock is listening to his words and putting them into practice.
That is important. Jesus does not say, “Everyone who hears my words is like a wise man.” He says the wise person is the one who hears his words and does them.
So it is not enough just to know about Jesus.
It is not enough just to say prayers.
It is not enough just to come to Mass.
Those things matter, of course. But Jesus wants more than words.
He wants our hearts.
He wants our choices.
He wants us to live as his disciples.
And that is where your school name is important.
St John Fisher was a man who built his life on rock.
He was clever. He was respected. He was important. But when he had to choose between being popular and being faithful to Christ, he chose Christ.
That was not easy. It cost him everything. But he stood firm because his life was built on the rock of faith.
Now, none of us may be asked to do exactly what St John Fisher did. But every day we are asked to be faithful in small ways.
When someone is left out, will I include them?
When someone is being laughed at, will I be brave enough to be kind?
When I am tempted to lie, will I tell the truth?
When I make a mistake, will I say sorry?
When I am angry, will I try to forgive?
When it is easier to follow the crowd, will I follow Jesus?
That is how we build on rock.
Not just in big dramatic moments, but in small faithful choices.
A school is a place where you learn many things: maths, English, science, history, music, sport. But in a Catholic school, you are also learning something even deeper. You are learning how to become the person God made you to be.
You are learning how to build a life that will stand.
Because storms do come in life. Everyone has difficult days. Everyone faces worries, disappointments, temptations, and moments when doing the right thing feels hard.
Jesus does not promise that there will never be storms.
He promises that if we build our lives on him, we will not face them alone.
So today, let us ask Jesus for the grace to be wise builders.
Not people who only say, “Lord, Lord,” but people who actually try to do the will of the Father.
Not people who build on sand, but people who build on rock.
And may St John Fisher pray for all of you, that your lives may be built firmly on Christ.
St. Mary's, St. John Bosco and St. Edward's 