Deacon Mike Meyer / Sunday, May 7, 2023 / Categories: Blog, Homilies Living Stones Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year A “Another Brick in the Wall” is a three-part song on Pink Floyd’s 1979 rock opera album called The Wall. At first blush, the simple composition’s lyrics protest against a rigid and abusive British school system. But according to the band, there’s a deeper meaning as well. The “wall” is the metaphorical barrier we build around ourselves over the course of our lives. The bricks in the wall are the difficult people we encounter who drive us into self-isolation. Pink Floyd’s bricks couldn’t differ more from the living stones we’re called to be in today’s readings. There seems to be a real estate construction theme dominating our readings this week. In our Gospel, Jesus tells us that there are “many dwelling places” in God’s house, indicating that he’s going to the Father to prepare a room for each and every one of us. Now, we might be tempted to interpret this passage as only describing what our lives will be like someday in heaven, but St. Peter’s words in our second reading won’t let us get away with that. You see, Peter insists that we are God’s dwelling place, too. Right here, right now. What does he mean? Peter describes the Church as a spiritual temple under construction where “believers are like living stones built securely on Christ, who is the cornerstone of the entire structure.”[1] A cornerstone, you’ll recall, is a foundational stone that lies at the corner of two walls. While we typically think of a cornerstone as a ceremonial piece marked with the date construction began, it actually plays a key role in the integrity of the building. As the first stone set in a masonry foundation, all other stones are set upon and in reference to it. A well-placed cornerstone assures that the walls will be straight, and the corners will be set at proper angles. Peter’s metaphor, then, tells us that Jesus is the foundation of our faith, “the way, and the truth and the life,” as we hear in our Gospel. It tells us that our faith must be built upon him and him alone, because no one comes to the Father except through him. It tells us that we are living stones created to be incorporated into God’s spiritual house—the Church—with Christ as our steadfast foundation. OK, so we’re supposed to be living stones in the Church. What does that mean? Think of it this way. Stones lying at the side of a construction site are useless. They only become useful when they’re incorporated into a building. So it is with us. To achieve our destiny as Christians, we can’t isolate ourselves; we can’t remain alone. Individual Christians find our true place, our true home, only when we’re built into the structure of the Christian community—the Church.[2] The Church isn’t a building. The Church isn’t a steeple. The Church isn’t a resting place [except during Father Chester’s homilies]. The Church is a people. I’m the Church! You’re the Church! We’re the Church together.[3] And as Church, we have a job to do. You’ll recall that we’re anointed priests, prophets, and kings at our baptism. That’s our mission as Christians, that’s our job. Peter invokes our baptismal mission when we he begs us to let the Holy Spirit build us into God’s spiritual house so we can be “a holy priesthood” destined to worship God and announce God’s praises to the world. You know, one Latin word for priest is pontifex, which literally means bridge builder. So in announcing God’s praises to the world, our priestly function demands that we build bridges, bridges that help others cross the moat of darkness and despair into the light and joy of God’s kingdom. It’s our job, then, to break down the walls of isolation that keep people away. It’s our job to usher all of God’s children into their very own dwelling place in the Father’s house. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting that our job’s easy. So many issues divide and isolate us today. Politics, race, morality, and even the implementation of Vatican II are just a few of the newest bricks in the vast wall that separates and isolates us from God, his Church, and each other. How do we knock down that wall and build God’s spiritual house in its place? We align ourselves with our cornerstone. We do what Jesus did. We promote a culture of encounter where we meet people where they are, listen attentively to their cries, and respond with compassion. In short, we knock down walls with love. When we love, we understand that people who differ from us aren’t our enemies, they’re reflections of the inexhaustible richness of human life”[4] created by God. When we love, we know that everyone has a place in God’s house. Now, Jesus never said that our job would be easy either, but he did say something quite remarkable: “Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do and will do greater ones than these.” Did Jesus really tell us that our works will be greater than his? Yes, he did. Remember, Jesus never preached outside of Palestine, but when he rose from the dead, he was freed from earthly limitations, and his Spirit could work mighty deeds anywhere.[5] And it has—through his Church, through us. Since Jesus ascended into heaven, the Christian faith has spread to every corner of the earth, and the Catholic Church and its institutions have been the driving force behind some of the greatest developments in human history: universities, hospitals, homes for widows, orphans, and the elderly, art, music, literature, architecture, scientific discovery, and beer! If that’s not enough, the Catholic Church remains the largest charitable organization in the world. These great works weren’t accomplished by people who hid behind a wall of self-isolation. They were accomplished by regular people just like you and me, people who, fed by the Word and the Eucharist, allowed themselves to be built into God’s spiritual house and lived their mission as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.” Every one of us has a unique dwelling place prepared for us by Christ in the Father’s house. Whether we take our place is up to us. Will we set ourselves firmly on Christ our cornerstone and live his way, his truth, and his life, or will we cling to fads and popular opinion? Will we offer our time, talent, and treasure to continue Christ’s work here on earth, or will we squander our resources on selfish pursuits? Will we seek out our lost, isolated, and forgotten brothers and sisters and welcome them home to God’s house, or will we promote an “Us and Them” culture? Will our epitaph say that we were living stones in God’s spiritual house, or just another brick in the wall? Readings: Acts 6:1-7; Psalm 33; 1 Peter 2:4-9; John 14:1-12 [1] Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch, eds, Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, 2d ed. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press,2010), 453. [2] William Barclay, The New Daily Study Bible: The Letters of James and Peter (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003), 226. [3] Richard K. Avery and Donald S. Marsh, We Are the Church! (Carol Stream: IL: Hope Publishing Company, 1972). [4] Francis, Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), 147. [5] William Barclay, The New Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of John, vol. 2 (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001), 192. Fickle Faith God Loves Us Print 477 Please login or register to post comments.