In today’s first reading from 1 Peter 2 we read that are to be “like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,  a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises of him“

A couple of years ago I visited the recently built Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral, in Los Angeles. Whatever one thinks of the overall architecture, one cannot help but be captivated by the twenty-five huge woven tapestries that hang on the north and south walls of the nave. Each tapestry is massive. On the tapestries are depicted 135 saints from the history of the Church – St Francis and St Ignatius of Loyola are there. All the figures in the tapestries are in profile, facing in the same direction as the congregation, towards the altar. But there among the 135 people the Church formally calls Saints, are twelve people, ordinary and unnamed figures on the tapestries. The twelve are the new saints of our time who are this “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of [God’s] own, .. announcing his praises…” turned to the altarfor worship. Holy people from every time and place, surrounding us, today’s faithful; showing the Church in one act of worship. There is LA, when you look to the walls, you truly see living stones, ….built into a spiritual house. The walls of the LA cathedral are reminder to me the we build with memories and worship. But is there more? Are we building for the future?

St. Francis recognized that his brothers were prone to celebrating the memories and stories of the saints, of other people – and then not build anew. Instead of living stones we friars too often became inanimate stones. St Francis told us that up to now we have done nothing, so let us begin again – because it is as Jesus promises: whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these.

The Early church faced it too…. in the glow of Resurrection … when they looked at the widows among them were being neglected – no doubt lonely, hungry, and forgotten. And the church adapted appointed deacons – expanding prayer and ministry. I am sure they were tempted to stay secure – and let Jesus return to them as he promised – keep things just they way they are. But they understood the on-going challenge to let themselves be built into a spiritual house – the same challenge we face. To grow in a way that the beauty of ministries and worship are more memorable and more enduring than the beauty and stone that surrounds us. Ministry and worship becomes the building blocks, become the stories, become the memories.

So that in the wonderful light of Christ we see far more than the lovely tapestries of the LA cathedral or our stained glass windows. We see who we are: who we are called to become – living stones building the kingdom of God of memory, ministry and worship. A royal and holy people called into the world, beyond these walls, beyond our memories, beyond ourselves: Ad majoram Dei gloriam. “For the greater glory of God.”