Sep 5, 2025 Written by 

Saying and doing, sand and rock, high and low

Base your life 'on the rock of God' and on the 'concreteness' of action and self-giving, rather than 'on appearances or vanity' or on the corrupt culture of 'recommendations'. This is the advice that Pope Francis suggested — during Mass celebrated at Santa Marta on Thursday 6 December — in order to live the Advent season consistently.

These are simple yet demanding guidelines that the Pontiff drew from the readings of the day, in which three significant groups of contrasting words are found: 'saying and doing', 'sand and rock', 'high and low'.

Regarding the first group — 'saying and doing' — the Pontiff immediately recalled the words of the Gospel of Matthew (7:21): "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father." And he explained: "One enters the kingdom of heaven, matures spiritually, and advances in the Christian life by doing, not by saying." In fact, "saying is a way of believing, but sometimes very superficial, halfway there": as when "I say I am a Christian but I do not do the things of a Christian." It is a kind of "pretence," because "just saying is a trick," it is "saying without doing."

Instead, "Jesus' proposal is concreteness." And so, "when someone approached him and asked for advice," he always proposed "concrete things." After all, the Pope added, "works of mercy are concrete." And again: "Jesus did not say, 'Go home and think about the poor, think about prisoners, think about the sick': no. Go: visit them."

This is the contrast between doing and saying. It is necessary to highlight this because "so often we slip, not only personally but socially, into the culture of saying". In this regard, Francis pointed to a practice that is unfortunately widespread, that linked to the "culture of recommendations". It happens, for example, that for a university competition, "someone who has almost no merits" is chosen over many talented professors; "and if you ask, 'But why this one? What about the others who are talented...?' - 'Because this one was recommended by a cardinal, you know... the big fish...'". The Pope commented: 'I don't want to think badly, but under the table of a recommendation there is always an envelope'. This is just one example of the prevalence of 'saying': 'it's not merit, it's not doing what gets you ahead, no: it's saying. Faking your life." And this is precisely "one of the contradictions that today's liturgy teaches us: do, don't say." In fact, the Pope explained, concluding this first part of his reflection, "Jesus advises" us to "do without saying: when you give alms, when you pray... in secret, without saying so. Do, don't say."

The second comparison refers to an image used by Jesus in the Gospel: 'a wise man builds his house on rock, not on sand'. The parable has its own evidence: 'Sand is not solid. A storm, winds, rivers, many things, rain cause a house built on sand to fall. Sand is a weak foundation." The Pontiff explained: "Sand is the consequence of saying: I put on a facade, as a Christian, I build a life for myself but without foundations. Vanity, vanity is saying many things, or showing myself without foundation, on sand." Instead, we must 'build on rock'. In this regard, the Pope invited us to grasp the beauty of the first reading of the day, taken from Isaiah (26:1-6), where we read: 'Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord is an eternal rock'.

This is a contrast closely linked to that between saying and doing, because "so often, those who trust in the Lord do not appear, are not successful, are hidden... but they are steadfast. They do not place their hope in words, in vanity, in pride, in the ephemeral powers of life," but entrust themselves to the Lord, "the rock." Francis explained: "The concreteness of Christian life makes us move forward and build on that rock that is God, that is Jesus; on the solidity of divinity. Not on appearances or vanity, pride, recommendations... No. The truth."

Finally, the "third group," where the concepts of "high and low" are confronted. Once again, the passage from Isaiah guides our meditation: "Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord is an eternal rock, for he has brought down those who dwelt on high, he has overturned the lofty city, he has overturned it to the ground, he has levelled it to the ground. Feet trample it down: the feet of the oppressed, the steps of the poor." It is a passage, the Pontiff pointed out, that recalls the "song of Our Lady, the Magnificat: the Lord lifts up the humble, those who are in the reality of everyday life, and brings down the proud, those who have built their lives on vanity, pride... these do not last." And the expression, Francis emphasised, "is very strong, even in the Magnificat the word 'overthrown' is used, and even stronger: that great beautiful city is trampled underfoot. By whom? By the feet of the oppressed and the steps of the poor." That is, the Lord "exalts the poor, exalts the humble."

The category of 'high and low', the Pope added in his commentary, is also used by Jesus, for example, when he 'speaks of Satan: "I saw Satan fall from heaven." And it is the expression of a 'definitive judgement on the proud, on the vain, on those who boast of being something but are pure air'.

Concluding his homily, Francis invited us to accompany the season of Advent with reflection on "these three groups of words that contrast with each other. Say or do? Am I a Christian of saying or doing? Sand and rock: do I build my life on the rock of God or on the sand of worldliness, of vanity? High and low: am I humble, do I always try to start from the bottom, without pride, and thus serve the Lord?" It will be helpful to answer these questions; and, he added, also to take up the Gospel of Luke and pray "with the song of Our Lady, with the Magnificat, which is a summary of today's message."

[Pope Francis, St. Martha's House, in L'Osservatore Romano, 6 December 2018]

51 Last modified on Friday, 05 September 2025 02:36
don Giuseppe Nespeca

Giuseppe Nespeca è architetto e sacerdote. Cultore della Sacra scrittura è autore della raccolta "Due Fuochi due Vie - Religione e Fede, Vangeli e Tao"; coautore del libro "Dialogo e Solstizio".

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We come to bless him because of what he revealed, eight centuries ago, to a "Little", to the Poor Man of Assisi; - things in heaven and on earth, that philosophers "had not even dreamed"; - things hidden to those who are "wise" only humanly, and only humanly "intelligent"; - these "things" the Father, the Lord of heaven and earth, revealed to Francis and through Francis (Pope John Paul II)
Veniamo per benedirlo a motivo di ciò che egli ha rivelato, otto secoli fa, a un “Piccolo”, al Poverello d’Assisi; – le cose in cielo e sulla terra, che i filosofi “non avevano nemmeno sognato”; – le cose nascoste a coloro che sono “sapienti” soltanto umanamente, e soltanto umanamente “intelligenti”; – queste “cose” il Padre, il Signore del cielo e della terra, ha rivelato a Francesco e mediante Francesco (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)
We are faced with the «drama of the resistance to become saved persons» (Pope Francis)
Siamo davanti al «dramma della resistenza a essere salvati» (Papa Francesco)
That 'always seeing the face of the Father' is the highest manifestation of the worship of God. It can be said to constitute that 'heavenly liturgy', performed on behalf of the whole universe [John Paul II]
Quel “vedere sempre la faccia del Padre” è la manifestazione più alta dell’adorazione di Dio. Si può dire che essa costituisce quella “liturgia celeste”, compiuta a nome di tutto l’universo [Giovanni Paolo II]
Who is freer than the One who is the Almighty? He did not, however, live his freedom as an arbitrary power or as domination (Pope Benedict)
Chi è libero più di Lui che è l'Onnipotente? Egli però non ha vissuto la sua libertà come arbitrio o come dominio (Papa Benedetto)
Are they not all spirits charged with a ministry, sent to serve those who are to inherit salvation? (Heb 1:14)
Non sono essi tutti spiriti incaricati di un ministero, inviati per servire coloro che devono ereditare la salvezza? (Eb 1,14)
In order to convert, we must not wait for prodigious events, but open our heart to the Word of God, which calls us to love God and neighbour (Pope Francis)
Per convertirci, non dobbiamo aspettare eventi prodigiosi, ma aprire il cuore alla Parola di Dio, che ci chiama ad amare Dio e il prossimo (Papa Francesco)
And «each of us can say: "for love to me"» (Pope Francis)
E «ognuno di noi può dire: “per amore a me”» (Papa Francesco)
We too, to reach a more conscious confession of Jesus Christ must follow, like Peter, a path made of attentive, caring listening (Pope John Paul II)
Anche noi per giungere a una più consapevole confessione di Gesù Cristo dobbiamo percorrere, come Pietro, un cammino fatto di ascolto attento, premuroso (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)
It is a word that must be witnessed to and proclaimed explicitly, because without a consistent witness it proves to be less comprehensible and credible [Pope Benedict]
E’ una Parola che deve essere testimoniata e proclamata esplicitamente, perché senza una testimonianza coerente essa risulta meno comprensibile e credibile [Papa Benedetto]
The “reading and meditation of the word of God root us more deeply in Christ and guide our ministry as servants of reconciliation, justice and peace” (second Synod for Africa, Propositio 46)
La lettura e la meditazione della Parola di Dio ci radicano più profondamente in Cristo e orientano il nostro ministero di servitori della riconciliazione, della giustizia e della pace (Secondo Sinodo per l’Africa, Propositio 46)

Due Fuochi due Vie - Vol. 1 Due Fuochi due Vie - Vol. 2 Due Fuochi due Vie - Vol. 3 Due Fuochi due Vie - Vol. 4 Due Fuochi due Vie - Vol. 5 Dialogo e Solstizio I fiammiferi di Maria

duevie.art

don Giuseppe Nespeca

Tel. 333-1329741


Disclaimer

Questo blog non rappresenta una testata giornalistica in quanto viene aggiornato senza alcuna periodicità. Non può pertanto considerarsi un prodotto editoriale ai sensi della legge N°62 del 07/03/2001.
Le immagini sono tratte da internet, ma se il loro uso violasse diritti d'autore, lo si comunichi all'autore del blog che provvederà alla loro pronta rimozione.
L'autore dichiara di non essere responsabile dei commenti lasciati nei post. Eventuali commenti dei lettori, lesivi dell'immagine o dell'onorabilità di persone terze, il cui contenuto fosse ritenuto non idoneo alla pubblicazione verranno insindacabilmente rimossi.