Divine Real Estate

Growing up, I remember having a keen interest in real estate shows. These many years later, I think they interested me because as the hosts moved from town-to-town, neighborhood-to-neighborhood, and house-to-house, they always left me with a question: “When it is my turn to purchase a house and sign a mortgage, just what sort of house will I choose to live in?”

This past week, as I’ve reflected upon the readings for this Sixth Sunday of Easter, the topic of housing, albeit divine, is at hand. So, I would like to begin with our second reading from the 21st chapter of the Book of Revelation (10-14, 22-23) where the Apostle John provides us details of the heavenly Jerusalem…

Of how an angel took him to a high mountain to show him;

Of how it radiated like a most precious stone;

Of how it had massive, high walls with twelve gates, representing the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles;

Of how, on each wall, there were three gates facing North, South, East, and West.

But interestingly, John also testifies that something was missing. The familiar Temple building that had been the epicenter of the Jewish religion where God dwelt (see Ex 40:34) and sacrifices were offered was nowhere to be seen.

For the Temple was now the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. And the Lamb was the Light of the World. The Prologue of John’s Gospel reminds us of this, of how “all things came to be through Him…that through Him was life…that His life was the light of the human race…and that His light shines in the darkness…” (see Jn 1:3-5) 

In returning to earth, to this place and time, it is important for us to remember how all of this applies to you and me. 

A hint. 

In the second chapter of John’s Gospel (13-25) is found The Cleansing of the Temple. If you remember, Jesus is in the Temple area and finds it to be a first-century version of the Vegas strip. Angrily, He topples the tables and enters into a heated dialogue with the Jewish leaders and declares to them: “Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up.” And as we know, Jesus’ words to them regarding His future Passion, Death, and Resurrection fly right over their heads.

A retired English teacher friend of mine, weary from having read decades of student papers contained with “fluff” (as he points out) has a voicemail message that says, “If you leave the pertinent information, I’ll get back with you.” 

This Sunday, the pertinent information is really a question. And the question is: Who lives in our house? And not the houses we live in that contain walls. But rather, just Who lives in us—the Temples of our bodies? Having been created in God’s own image, our bodies, after all, have been given to us by God Himself. In today’s passage from the Gospel of John (14:23-29), Jesus reminds us of this: 

Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.

So, we too are temples! We are places of sacrifice and called to be sacrifice. On this Memorial Day weekend, we remember the sacrifices of those who have given their lives to preserve the freedoms each of us enjoy this very day. And in our families, may we appreciate the sacrifices of our mothers and fathers, who try their best to raise children during difficult and confusing cultural times. 

There is an old song with memorable lyrics, “I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden.” Each time I hear it, I am reminded of what Jesus told his disciples, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Mt 16:24) At baptisms, I like to focus on this topic of sacrifice and the many ways that God, who dwells in each of us, is with us along our earthly journey that contains many ups-and-downs.

Will our journeys always be easy ones? I think not! Which is perhaps why our new holy father, Pope Leo XIV, chose these first words for the world as he stepped out onto the Central Loggia at St. Peter’s Basilica: “Peace be with you all” and then proceeded to remind us that “this peace is of the risen Christ…humble and persevering. A peace that comes from God, the God who loves us all, unconditionally.”

Today, may we remember that God dwells in our house, for we are His temple! At Mass, when we hear His Word and receive Him in the Holy Eucharist, may we come to know His love in ever-deepening ways and share that love with others.