God Builds a Home Before We Build One

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today we celebrate the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, one of the oldest churches in the world dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. At first glance, it may seem like we are simply remembering a beautiful building in Rome. But the Church is inviting us to see something much deeper. Long before stones were laid and walls were raised, God was already building a home – not of marble, but of hearts. In the first reading, the Lord says through the prophet Jeremiah, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” Before Israel rebuilt its cities, before it returned from exile, before anything was restored, God’s love came first. That is always God’s way. He doesn’t wait for us to become worthy before drawing near. He builds a relationship before He asks us to build anything for Him.

There is something in all of us that wants to earn God’s love. We think, “Once I get my life together… once I stop struggling… once I become a better Christian… then God will be pleased with me.” But Jeremiah turns that thinking upside down. God’s love is not a reward for our faithfulness; it is the reason we can become faithful at all. The people of Israel had failed again and again, yet God still called them His people. That is the Gospel hidden in the Old Testament. God is always the first to move. He is always the first to forgive. He is always the first to come looking for His children.

Mary understood this better than anyone. Saint Mary Major stands as a reminder that the greatest sanctuary God ever chose was not a magnificent basilica, but the humble heart of a young woman who simply said, “Yes.” God could have entered history in power and spectacle, but instead He chose a person who made room for Him. That’s what makes Mary extraordinary – not that she built something impressive for God, but that she allowed God to build His life within her. Every church dedicated to Mary ultimately points us toward that same invitation. The question is not, “How impressive is my faith?” The question is, “Is there room in my heart for Christ to dwell?”

Perhaps that is the challenge for us today. We spend so much energy building careers, reputations, schedules, and plans, yet sometimes neglect the one place God most desires to live – our hearts. Beautiful churches inspire us, but they are meant to remind us of an even greater truth: each of us is called to become a living temple of the Holy Spirit. God’s dream is not simply that we visit holy places, but that we become holy places. And that transformation begins, not with perfection, but with surrender. When we allow God to love us first, He slowly rebuilds what sin has broken, restores what discouragement has damaged, and fills the empty places with His presence.

Prayer: Lord, You have loved me with an everlasting love, even on the days when I have forgotten You. Teach me to stop trying to earn what You freely give. Like Mary, help me to make room for You in the ordinary places of my life. Build within me a heart that welcomes Your presence, trusts Your promises, and reflects Your love to others. May my life become a living temple where You are always at home. Amen.

– Homily by Rev Fr Patrick Agbeko