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God’s house
Acts 6:1-7
1 Peter 2:4-9
Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it says in Scripture: Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame. Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and A stone that will make people stumble, and a rock that will make them fall. They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny.
You are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
John 14:1-12
In the gospel reading, Jesus told his apostles in the Last Supper that he would leave them to prepare a place for them in his “Father’s house” (Jn 14:2). In the Bible, “God’s house” is a key term that refers to the Church, as signified by the Tabernacle (Ex 26) and the Jerusalem Temple (1 Kgs 6-8). Similar use of this term is often found in the Mosaic Law: “The choicest first fruits of your soil you shall bring to the house of the LORD, your God,” (Ex. 23:19).
In the first reading, we see how the Father’s house – the Church of Christ – continued to get prepared: the ordination of 7 deacons, which marked the origin of the diaconal office – the ministry of charity – and became part of the fundamental structure of the Church (cf. Deus Caritas Est, n.21).
“House” as a key biblical word also refers to a dynasty or kingdom. God revealed to King David that his “house”, i.e. the Davidic kingdom or dynasty, shall endure forever (2 Sam 7:16). David’s kingdom foreshadows Jesus’ Heavenly Kingdom, whose founding and emergence he proclaimed in the beginning of his public ministry (cf. Mk 1:15), and which he would continue to “prepare” upon departure from the apostles. Jesus is “Lord of lords and king of kings” (Rev 17:14); he is the perfect fulfillment of all the kings and their kingdoms on earth. His Messianic Kingdom is the only Kingdom that endures forever (cf. Daniels 2:31-45).
Continuing the theme of God’s house, the 2nd reading reveals that the Church of Christ – His Kingdom – is built firmly on Christ himself, who is a “chosen, precious cornerstone” that was rejected by the builders, i.e. the Jews (1 Pet 2:6-7); its inhabitants, as God had already foretold through Moses (Ex. 19:6), are “a chosen race, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation”.
Clearly we all want to live in the Father’s house. Now that we have pondered this Sunday’s readings, let’s be honest and ask ourselves: Do I belong to this “chosen race”? What’s my “priesthood”? How successful am I in exercising my priesthood? Do I live in holiness or in sinfulness? The answers to your questions may well decide whether the Father’s house is for you to live in!
