Dear Matty,

It is with great joy and hope that I write to you this morning. I’ve been observing you in your journey of faith, and while you’ve stumbled through temptations like most boys, you continue to learn and grow. As the sun rises on your birthday, and you begin new steps towards adulthood, I’m writing to remind you to keep your faith in me at the center of who you are. Your namesake, my disciple, Matthew, once wrote, “It is a wise man who builds his house on the rock.” As you grow, remember to keep the foundation of who you are on the rock of our faith. Be steady and unwavering in your beliefs, evangelize others who slip in the sands of the path of least resistance, and ensure your actions align to our Catholic values. It will not always be the easy path, but if you build your life on the rock of our church and your belief in me, I will give you strength.

In Matthew 7:24-27, the Bible references the wise man who builds his house on the rock, and when the rain and winds come, the wise man’s home will not fall.  

It is the stupid man who builds his home on sand, for when the storms of life come, that home will wash away. Matty, I know you understand the metaphor of rock and sand. Building your life on the rock of our faith, as difficult as it is sometimes, gives you fortitude and resolution in your faith. It is often much easier to find sand, the path of least resistance, and build your life on that. But while it is easy, sand is not strong and it moves with the forces of nature. The rain and winds in this metaphor are the challenges of life; the sadness of losing family, the hardships of illness and poverty, the friends who let you down.  Build yourself around the virtues and values of our faith and you will find you always have a rock to turn to so that you may weather the storms of life. 

In the bible, Matthew also refers to building our church on the rock, and how the gates of Hades will not overcome the church because of that rock. As you know, when I speak about Peter or my church, I am speaking about all of you that make up our church community. You are each pebbles and come together in faith to make the foundation of our church. It’s in our unity that we are stronger. It is important that you ground yourself in your faith. Just like Peter, building the church on the rock, you too must now build and grow in your faith with the strong foundation of the rock that is me.   

So, as you grow older, with more temptations arising, the message you must keep with you always is to remain strongly rooted in our faith, follow the commandments, live a life of virtue and honesty, and put me first above all your worldly possessions. You’ll come across cool kids, rich kids, athletes, and icons in the sand - and it will be tempting and easy to pitch your tent beside them.  Don’t build your life in the sands of want and desire, but rather on the rock of faith that will shield and protect you and will never give way when you need it most.  Matty, I know you will waiver, and that’s okay. I will always love you, and I will always forgive you. Never let a few missed steps make you feel that you can’t turn back to me. I’m here, and I will always be here for you. I am your rock, and I look forward to watching how you build your life, and to always supporting you as you grow. 

With blessings for a meaningful and faith filled life, 

God