Acts 6:1-7; Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19; 1 Pt 2:4-9; Jn 14:1-12

“Like living stones let yourselves be built into a spiritual house” by coming to him the living stone who is the foundation of the world.  Jesus says, “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me” and we are now invited to be in Jesus. We are like living stones that build up the house of God when we come to offer our spiritual sacrifices from the priesthood of our baptism united to his body in the sacrament of the Mass.  The sacrament of the Mass cannot exist without “a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”.  Jesus did not come to destroy the priesthood of the Jews but to transform it giving the apostles the living stone of his body and blood.  The living church of God requires that there be a priesthood something to grasp for the many who desire to be called “church”. 

In a world where many desire to create their own church, their theology, their form of worship, and their own rules for membership beware of the history of heresies, false teachers and prophets.  Woe to those who would misguide the sheep from the church that Jesus established.  For Catholics the word “church” comes from the “Geek ‘ekklesia’ meaning ‘the called out ones’.  However, the English word ‘church’ does not come from ‘ekklesia’ but from the word ‘kuriakon’ which means ‘dedicated to the Lord’.” (google/definition of church in the bible) Words matter and the nuance changes everything.  The apostles were the “called out ones” to be the priesthood commissioned by Jesus himself.  The community was dedicated to the Lord under the authority given by Jesus to the apostles.  The community dedicated to the Lord cannot be ekklesia without a priest. 

The sheep need their Shepherd and scripture alone followers have chosen to bypass the priesthood and go directly to God through a church dedicated to the Lord without accepting the authority giving to the apostles.  The result is the division we see today as more and more groups claim to be the church of God under their own authority.  This is not the vision Jesus prayed for to God “that they may all be one just as you Father are in me and I in you” in John 17:21. Just before this gospel reading from John, Jesus tells his disciples at the last supper “Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.  If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it”.  Unfortunately, history proves that many have come to believe they are better messengers establishing their own church as better dedicated to the Lord than the one Jesus established under the priesthood of the apostles. 

Jesus is our cornerstone of faith, hope and love.  He also established the church as the cornerstone of the sacramental life with Jesus as our high priest.  It is interesting to note that the apostles did not avoid the synagogues on the sabbath but “took their seats” and were even invited to preach to their brothers “a word of exhortation” converting some to be followers of the faith.  Then they devote themselves to “prayer and to the ministry of the word” on resurrection day. 

Today we learn that as the community grew so did the needs of the community.  Living stones need food, shelter, and all the basics of care for our mortal lives.  “The Twelve called together the community of disciples” meaning the first Apostles after Judas had been replaced to fill the need of service and as we would say “by unanimous consent” the first seven Deacons were chosen. 

Historically some deacons took care of the “widows” others of the treasury, some at the side of the bishop and others at the side of the hungry but always a calling of service.  Since we are called to be the spiritual house of God and by baptism become the temple of the Holy Spirit then he lives as much as in the poor and the sick as he does in his ordained ministers.  In the same way all who believe have the same calling to be priest, prophet and king through the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Now if we want to see Jesus, we can begin by looking at the good of humanity created in his image.

Suppose I said, “if you want to see Jesus start by looking at your children, your parents, your spouse, even your in-laws, or how about your enemies.”  It gets tougher sometimes to believe God is working in some people.  Believe that he is also working in us so we can also begin to seek him from within to reveal his image to the world.  What is a living stone?  It is something visible that reflects the invisible grace of God.  It carries within God himself reflecting what is good, beauty, truth, and love calling others to unity in faith, hope, and love.  Let us be that living stone.