The Dwelling Place of God

The concept of the temple serves as a unifying thread across the liturgical readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, evolving from a physical structure to a mystical reality. Initially, the Jerusalem temple functioned as the focal point of Jewish life, representing the dwelling place of God. Through the lens of the Acts of the Apostles and the First Letter of Peter, this role shifts to the Church, which acts as an edifice of living stones built upon Christ as the cornerstone. This "true temple" facilitates the reconciliation between divinity and humanity through right praise. Ultimately, these earthly structures are symbolic anticipations of heaven—the Father’s house—where believers are invited into the eternal, inner life of God. By following Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life, the faithful are gathered into the sacred space between the Father and the Son, unified by the Holy Spirit.