A HOLY TEMPLE…

Ephesians 2:19-22 
19 So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,21 in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord;22 in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Luke 6:12-16

12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray; and all night he continued in prayer to God.13 And when it was day, he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles;
14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew,15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot,16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

MEDITATION

St PAULS concluding remarks to the Church of Ephesus before he is to be handed over to his executioners, is to validate that this community is indeed fellow citizens who are part of the Church that Christ established upon the apostles. 

Paul use words such as; built, foundation, cornerstone, structure, dwelling place and temple—construction language to illustrate that a permanent institution has been established. Moreover this divine institution is anchored by Christ who tasked the apostles to form, teach and grow this unified believing body untill His second coming. 

St LUKE remind us that Christ spend the whole night in prayer on the mountain, before He handpicked the twelve apostles.There is something to be said why the four gospel writers chronicle the election of the twelve by placing Peter first and Judas last in their roll call. Most striking is that all four writers wish to remind their audience that Judas was a traitor!   

Whilst it is true that the two thousand year old Roman Catholic Church is indefectible because Christ is the cornerstone who promised that Satan shall never overpower this divine institution (Mt 16:18), we must admit that there will always be a number of Judas’s who opperate under the radar attempting to undermine the Church from the inside. Like Peter, (Jn 21:15-17) we the members of the body of Christ who have desecrated our bodies by being stooges of Satan, are equally given a second chance to run to Christ in the confessional. Let us not squander the opportunity to release our vomit of sin, plead His forgiveness so we may be a holy temple in which Christ can find His rest to restore our peace and joy. 

LET US PRAY: Psalms 19:2-5 

2 Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,5 which comes forth like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

Commentary. Henry R SYLVESTER Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days.