28 October 2019 - built together

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles

Jesus establishes his Church on the Rock who is Peter. He builds it upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets.

And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (see Revelation 21:14).

The Church itself is the pillar and foundation of truth (see First Timothy 3:15). The Apostles not only hand down to us the written word (for not all of them wrote) but also by Sacred Tradition (see Second Thessalonians 2:15).

Christ Jesus himself is the capstone who makes this whole structure hold together. We can trust in him even when things are confusing, even when things look bleak. We see that in the mystery of providence Christ knowingly allowed Judas Iscariot to be a part of his plan because he knew that a greater good would result. So too every trial faced by the Church is permitted by God. He can see further than we can. From the time he "spent the night in prayer to God" he foresaw all that would result and chose what would ultimately manifest the glory, love, and mercy of God to the maximal degree.

All the greatness God has built into the Church does us no good unless we allow ourselves to become part of it. We need to take on a new identity shaped by our new destiny as dwelling places of God in the Spirit.

in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

We must allow ourselves to be built together. Dividing walls must fall. There are strangers and sojourners outside of the Church. But within we must be fellow citizens. The Holy Spirit delights in unity and he will fill us more and more to the degree that we allow ourselves to be united with one another. This may be difficult. It may go against our preferences or personalities. But it is the call upon us. Once we accept it we will begin to know the fruits of the Spirit more deeply. We won't want to look back.

Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.