we are “being built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord…” (Ephesians 2: 19-22)

That picture of the church is brought before us every month with a feast of an apostle, We celebrated two apostles yesterday, Simon and Jude. On a feast of the apostles we look back and look forward. We belong to a growing church meant to embrace people from every nation, time and place. It’s a church bound for glory. That’s the church we belong to.

We belong to a church described as a building, not a complete building, but one “being built.” The foundation is the apostles and prophets. Jesus Christ is the cornerstone, holding everything together and ensuring it grows to the “sacred temple of the Lord.”

Yet, in our part of the world, is our church growing? It looks like it’s falling apart. Perhaps we don’t see how big our church is. It’s bigger than we think. Some weeks ago Pope Francis was in Southeast Asia and commented on the growing church he saw there. A youthful, enthusiastic church, he said. We see only a part of the church.

The apostles brought their message to all the earth. They do not just report their memories of Jesus; they brought their message to others, to the ends of the earth. Accounts of their missionary journeys may not all be historically true, but their conviction of a universal mission was certainly true. They call us to this same mission;  a great church is being built and we are part of it.

“We have inherited heaven along with the apostles,” our morning prayer says. “On the foundations stones of the heavenly Jerusalem, the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are written,” we read in morning prayer. That’s where we are headed. We see only so much..