HOMILY OF TUESDAY IN THE 30TH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C. 28TH OCTOBER, 2025. FR EMMANUEL AGHIDI C.S.Sp.
Texts: Ephesians 2:19–22; Luke 6:12–16
Friends, the readings invite us to contemplate our identity as members of God’s household and our mission as living stones in the temple of the Spirit. In the first reading, St Paul paints a vision of the Church as a dwelling place of God, not built by human hands, but fashioned from hearts that believe. We are no longer strangers or foreigners, but citizens with the saints, members of God’s family. The Apostle reminds us that our unity in Christ transcends tribe, race, and status; it is rooted in faith and sealed by grace.
At the center of this living structure stands Christ Himself who is the cornerstone. Without Him, the building collapses; with Him, every stone finds its place. He binds differences into harmony, weakness into strength, isolation into communion. The Church is not simply an organization; it is a mystical edifice, alive with the breath of the Spirit, where each believer becomes a sacred space for God’s presence.
In the Gospel, we see a revelation of how this divine construction began. Before choosing the Twelve Apostles, the foundation stones of the Church, Jesus withdrew into the mountain to pray. The night became His sanctuary.
The dawn of mission was born out of the womb of prayer. From the crowd, He called twelve ordinary men, fishermen, tax collectors, zealots not because of their perfection, but because of their openness to grace. Their strength would not come from human competence but from their communion with the Cornerstone. In their frailty, the Church’s divine origin would shine.
Prayer and communion are the twin pillars of apostolic life. Just as Jesus prayed before choosing, we must pray before acting.
The Church grows not by activism but by abiding in the presence of the Builder.
When we pray, we align our will with God’s plan; when we listen, we discover where our stone fits in His temple.
Today, as heirs of the apostolic faith, we are called to continue building not walls of separation, but bridges of belonging. Our witness must show that God still dwells among His people. Each of us is a living stone, chosen and placed with purpose. Together we form the dwelling of the Holy Spirit, a Church that prays, loves, forgives, and unites.
May the Lord bless his words in our hearts. Amen.
