I have learned a great deal in my work as the chair of the building committee for the renovation of our monastic home. There has been no greater lesson learned than the importance of a firm foundation.
A strong foundation supports and holds-up a structure, yet acquiring a durable foundation requires more than just digging into the ground and pouring the concrete. The base must be properly prepped with the right materials to ensure that it can hold the weight of the structure, offering support when strong forces act upon it.
The lessons learned in building a firm foundation for a structure are also true for building a firm foundation for our spiritual life. We have to ensure that our spiritual foundation is strong and ready to support us in troubling times. If we have built our spiritual lives on a firm foundation of virtue, self-denial, and union with God, we will be able to withstand temptations, difficulties, disappointment, and trials.
“For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
– 1 Corinthians 3:11
