Jesus said to his disciples:

“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 in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!”

Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

In a few days, the United States of America will celebrate her semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence. Both in 1776, and even now 250 years later, our nation and people were at war, experiencing strongly opposed political and social ideas, struggling with migration, and can feel divided by class and race and culture. The US has not just endured but has thrived as a nation and a people. The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and other key documents of our democracy and way of governance form a foundation for this nation. This is the foundation upon which is built the immensity of our nation in geographic expanse, population, economy, cultures, diversity, and our sense of our unique role in the modern world.  

I might propose a very rough and limited similarity with the Catholic Church, which has also not just endured, but has thrived. Like the US, the Catholic Church has struggled with war, internal opposition, and issues of class, race, culture, human rights, etc. Like the US, the Catholic Church rests on an incredible foundation, such as the Sacraments, the Scriptures, the Catechism, Catholic Social Teachings, and much more.  

Yet, unlike the US and another other country or institution, the Catholic Church resides in an enduring, eternal, and living foundation: Jesus Christ.  Amen.

—Fr. Glen Chun, SJ, a priest of the Midwest Province, is community minister of Bellarmine House of Studies in St. Louis.

The Church's one foundation
 Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
 She is his new creation,
 By water and the word;
 From Heav'n he came and sought her
 To be his holy bride;
 With his own blood he bought her,
 And for her life he died.

Elect from ev'ry nation,
 Yet one o'er all the Earth,
 Her charter of salvation
 One Lord, one faith, one birth;
 One holy name she blesses,
 Partakes one holy food,
 And to one hope she presses,
 With ev'ry grace endued.

'Mid toil and tribulation
 And tumult of her war,
 She waits the consummation
 Of peace forever more;
 Till with the vision glorious
 Her longing eyes are blest,
 And the great Church victorious
 Shall be the Church at rest.

O happy ones and holy!
 Lord, give us grace that we
 Like them, the meek and lowly,
 On high may dwell with thee;
 There, past the border mountains,
 Where in sweet vales, the bride
 With thee, by living fountains,
 Forever shall abide!

—Lyrics to The Church’s One Foundation by Rev. Samuel J. Stone