We are in the middle of a housing
crisis. People long to find shelter and a stable place which they can call
home. We have witnessed many governments and individuals seeking to address
this issue, especially in a time when it is difficult to raise sufficient funds
to make a deposit or afford the monthly repayments. How do we assist people to
build on solid foundations, not just for this generation but for future
generations?
It is against this background that we
hear St Peter encourage people to build on the person of Jesus Christ as the
living stone on which it is possible to create a living relationship with God.
If you ask any builder, it is important to deal with a building's foundations
before you let it take shape. This means that the sewer lines, electrical
cables, and other essential items must be installed before a frame is ever
created, bricks are laid, or a roof is set in place. This is where we start to
realise that it is in baptism that we first encounter the person of Christ. We
build on this foundation to continue to meet him daily. It provides the living
encounter that forms us in our relationship with a faith community, where we
can build our lives. This allows us to be reconciled, healed, and nourished and
provides the sacramental witness of how people witness to their faith through
marriage, ordination, religious life, and single commitment. You are a chosen
nation, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation set apart to sing the praises
of God.
This living presence of Jesus Christ
is also affirmed in the passages from John. Amid all the uncertainty we face,
sometimes daily, we are called not to let our hearts be troubled. This may seem
easier said than done, but it calls us to recognise the principle and
foundation that becomes our touchstone for our faith. What scripture passage
can we call to mind that will sustain us through each day? This is at the heart
of Thomas question when he hears Jesus say that he will prepare many rooms for
us so that we can be with him. This is not just about careful planning for a
future event, but about a present reality in which we meet Jesus as the Way,
the Truth, and the Life. It also leads to Philip’s deeper question about how we
see Jesus in the events of this day. This can at times seem very abstract, but
it is where we are called to be together as a prayerful community. We are
called to witness to others through our presence that God is with us. This
allows us to study the environment in which we work, noticing the graced
moments when God is at work and when we are called to act. At the end of each
day, we can examine how we have both cooperated with God’s grace and resisted
it. This gentle art of reflection allows us to surrender each day to receive
and give thanks for how God is at work in our lives.
We also know through the Acts of the
Apostles that people can be moved to focus on aspects of community life. At the
heart of synodality is the need to listen not just to the loudest voice but the
living heartbeat of Christ that draws people together. Where there are
differences of opinion, we need to ensure that all the charisms are at work to
build up a community of disciples who preach the Good News with their lives. At
the heart of this is also a recognition that certain people are set aside for
prayer and service of the Word. Yet a community is not just built on the work
of one person but on the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who fills us with
wisdom to spread the Gospel in our times.
A faith community builds on solid
foundations, not just the priests' but also the baptised's, who have formed a
community. People in our own age are looking for a place where they can belong
and call home. There is a spiritual housing crisis! This is not just about
finding any place, but about seeking a continual renewal of faith that calls
each of us to be disciples. This allows us to become people of prayer,
reflection, and action who embody the words of the psalmist: "Lord, let
your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you."
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