What makes a “house” a “home”? If we believe the real-estate agents, the value of a home is defined by external factors: size of the lot, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, richness of decoration, perks like a finished basement, a remodelled kitchen, and all the modern gadgets that make life easier and more comfortable. And of course, ... location, location, location! (Try Toronto and Vancouver!)

Although this may accurately measure a house’s financial value, it is at best peripheral to the deeper question of what constitutes a true “home.” In the Gospel today, Jesus tells the disciples that in his Father’s house, there are many dwelling-places. Jesus is the one “Way” leading us to our true home, but it contains many rooms, including one “just-made” for each of us. As diverse and different as we are, each of us can be at home in the Father’s house. Jesus is the cornerstone, the foundation on which the Father’s house is built. At the same time, each one of us is a “living stone”, unique and irreplaceable, an essential part of the “building up” of the Church as a spiritual home in which all are welcome.

This weekend, we have many reasons to celebrate! Delegated by our Archbishop, I will seal our young people with the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation, commissioning them to keep bearing proud witness to their faith. We will welcome our younger members to the Lord’s table, as they celebrate their First Holy Communion. And of course, we honour our mothers this weekend, giving thanks for those wonderful women who first made a home for us: in their bodies, in their hearts, in their lives! So whatever we are celebrating this weekend, let us experience the real presence of Jesus in our lives, helping us to claim our unique and permanent home in the Father’s house. May our church home here at St. Monica’s always be a place of welcome and embrace: