So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22 NABRE)
This past weekend, it dawned on me in a new way how important community is for us. I had a simple insight which suddenly deepened my understanding and awareness of the value that community provides. I had a sudden thought that we cannot be truly Christian alone. Christians rely on faith in the context of a community with a purpose, the mission of Jesus Christ. Of course we are individuals, each claiming a unique relationship with God; yet, there is something vital about the community of believers that becomes our fueling station for the mission at hand.
God, in his wisdom, created this community so that we could draw strength from it in order to go out into the world with the good news. The community is also a sign itself of our faith, so that when non-believers see how we act in love, they will find a path to Christ. And in today's passage, we see that the whole Christian community is a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. We are the temple which has its foundation in the apostles and prophets and which has Jesus as the cornerstone.
Today, I will celebrate and pray for the wonderful gift of a vibrant Christian community.
Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles whose lives remind us that holiness does not depend on human merit, culture, personality, effort or achievement, but is entirely God's creation and gift, pray for us.
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