Buildings are not just made of bricks and stones.
Buildings provide shelter and security.
A building becomes a home for a family to return to when the day comes to an end.
For the people of God in the 1st reading, the building of the Temple and its completion was a moment of great joy.
The Temple was the House of God, a symbol of God’s presence, as well as a symbol of their identity and unity.
It is in the Temple that the people offer worship and prayer.
In other words, the Temple was the focal point of the relationship between God and His people, as well as the relationship between the people.
But if that relationship is broken by unfaithfulness and injustice, then the Temple does not have any meaning whatsoever.
In the gospel, Jesus says that those who hear the Word of God and put it into practice are truly His relations.
When we hear the Word of God and put it into practice in our relationships, beautiful things happen.
The Church becomes a House where God meets His people and imparts His blessings on them.
The house becomes a home where family relationships are strengthened and deepened.
Let us read and meditate upon the Word of God, and may it flow into our relationships and may it also bring us God’s abundant blessings.