Tag: members of the household of God

If Christ Be Our Cornerstone (Fri. Feb 4)

· Fr. Basil
The word of the day is “cornerstone.”  What should be the foundation of the church and our very lives?  With what should we orient our communities of faith and ourselves?  In today’s reading of 1 Peter 1:1-2, 10-12, 2:6-10, Peter writes, “Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame’” (OSB 1 Peter 2:6).  Today we learn how this prophecy refers to Jesus Christ and we should conform the Church and ourselves to Him. The Prophecy of Isaiah The origin of the metaphor of the cornerstone is the prophecy of Isaiah, “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:…

Therefore, No Longer Strangers and Foreigners (Tues, Oct. 12)

· Fr. Basil
The word of the day is “therefore.”  In today’s reading of Ephesians 2:19-3:7, Paul writes that though they are gentiles, the Ephesians are “no longer strangers and foreigners.”  They are “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (vs. 2:19).  That is, non-Jews are equal members of the church. And both Jews and Gentiles are being “built together” into a temple, a dwelling place of God. The Controversy is Over: Gentiles Are Fully Accepted Note the triumphant tone of this letter compared with Paul’s earlier letters.  Time has passed.  The controversy over the incorporation of the Gentiles into the church has been resolved.  The Holy Spirit has made known the “mystery” of God’s plan “to His…