[1]The chaplain on
duty for the day shift got an urgent call from the nurse on the seventh floor, “Please
come!” When the chaplain arrived, by the
nursing station, two men and a woman were shouting at each other. The room opposite was bursting with large
people arguing.
The chaplain bent his head toward the nurse, “What’s going
on?” She said, “Nine children. They’re fighting over their mother’s last
wishes.” Well they finally got them calmed
down enough to pray together and be silent so they could focus on their dying
mother.
A few minutes later, with her last words, she pleaded
quietly, “Children, please don’t fight.”
The deepest desire of a mother’s heart is for her children to
flourish. Integral to that flourishing
is her desire for them to get along and to care for each other. If this is how a mother feels, how much
greater are the desires of God’s heart?[2]
The family of God behaves like most, family life is the
sharing of meals that are at once material and spiritual. The table, the source of familial comfort and
belonging, can also be the focal point of tension and rancor.
In the first reading we get a glimpse of the early Christian
community, comprised both Jews (Hebrews) and Gentiles (Graeco-Romans). Social
divisions between them were not easily overcome, even in the care of the needy.
The apparent neglect of the Gentile widows, whether intended or not, presents itself
to the apostles as a practical problem that needs to be addressed structurally.
This account has traditionally been seen as the origin of the order of deacons,
even though the origin of the diaconate is certainly more complex historically,
we have in this passage a genuine view of the house of God expanding in
structure and in diversity to meet the needs of the growing family of faith.
Surely it behooves us to think about the new temple, crafted
by Jesus for the family that dwells in the house of God. The First Letter of Peter tells us that Jesus
himself is not just the builder, he is the “cornerstone” of the new temple. The members of God’s family, from the
beginning right up to us here and now, are “like living stones,” who must let
ourselves “be built into a spiritual house.”
The corona virus has in many ways restored or expanded the foundation of
the temple. The manner in which each
stone of the church is shaped and formed is through the ongoing work of
holiness. Within the house, built by
Christ, we are co-contractors with the Master Builder, in this ongoing building
project.
As the family grows and expands, so too, must the house in
which they live. This might require
additional rooms; it might require changes and development in relationships. The church on earth, built with and by the “living
stones” of those who make up the house of God, is always growing to meet the
physical and spiritual needs of the family of God. It is a church full of the wounded and the
suffering, but it’s also a place of joy.
Yes, we bear our scars, just like our Master Builder does,
in a home always under renovation, but this is a big house in which all are
welcome and called to the table. We know
our own building efforts are faulty and imperfect, but each of us builds with
and are being built by the Master Builder as a member of this household of
faith. As we build, we are also being
shaped into “living stones” being made perfect for our eternal home.
There is so much in this world that pulls us apart from each
other. Whatever our earthly flaws, we
are working for the promise of the perfect home in God’s kingdom. God’s vision for us, is much like our mother’s,
for us to be together always. He is our
unfailing help to heal our divisions. Whether
we speak in terms of a mother’s dying desire or Jesus speaking of his “Father’s
house [where] there are many dwelling places” the image of the family house is
perfect, because whether our families have lived together harmoniously or in
various states of dysfunction, even of abuse, we all can imagine the perfect
home.[3] A home where we
can remain focused on what’s most important, our salvation and the our salvation
of sisters and brothers.
It’s this home, for which we are co-contractors, that speaks
of the family of God at peace, knowing the Master Builder “is the Way, the
Truth, and the Life.”
[1] New American Bible, Saint Joseph Edition. © 1986. Scriptures: Acts 6:1-7; 1 Pt 2:4-8; John
14:1-12.
[2] Living the Word ©2019 by John R. Barker, OFM
& Karla J. Bellinger.
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