What are the differences between a house and a home? A house is a place where we live, while a home is our dwelling place. A house provides a roof, while a home provides a shelter. A house is a place where we simply keep our belongings, while a home is where we truly belong. A house is a place where the occupants can eat and sleep, while a home is where one gets nourishment and rest. A house is a place where we sometimes feel restricted, that is why we have such things as “house rules,” while a home is where we feel free, that is why we oftentimes tell our visitors to feel “at home.” Even the classic film, “The Wizard of Oz,” would even affirm that indeed, “there is no place like home.”
My dear friends, our celebration today challenges us to turn this house into a home. Just like the way Martha welcomed Jesus into her home, today, we ask the Lord to make this house his dwelling place. There is no greater joy than to realize that as we attend to our daily responsibilities and concerns, God is in our midst. I believe, being aware of his presence will make all of us create an atmosphere of openness where everybody is welcome, not only those whom we consider as friends, but even the strangers as well, especially those who need our help and support.
In our Gospel, Jesus was welcomed not only by Martha, but also by Mary, her sister; and a house is not a home without the relationship we build and fortify within the context of family life. Martha and Mary, although in different ways, served the Lord according to what they can give. In our family, there are those who, like Martha, provide for the family’s needs; and on the other hand, there are also those who, like Mary, will make their presence felt in one way or the other. We pray that as members of this family, we may always choose the “better part” as we take part in serving the Lord in one another. May your family be united too in all circumstances. Problems and difficulties may arise, but may it all the more help you realize the value of being together. It is good to note that in our Gospel, Jesus noticed that Martha was worried and distracted by many things and this can be true even in our family life. Our worries and distractions, with or without any basis, can move our sight away from what is truly essential. Therefore, in moments of struggles, may you be for each other, a source of strength and courage; in moments of conflict and animosity, may you always resolve it with understanding and openness to reconciliation; in moments of crisis, may you always find solace in the arms of each other and with God, as our supreme source of consolation.
As we continue our rite of blessing, let us also thank the Lord for bestowing upon us the opportunity of having this house, which, through the unfailing presence of Jesus and our cooperation with his grace, will turn into a home. May his presence sustain your loving concern for one another and may it also prompt you more to share the joys and pains of family life. May this house be a shelter in the midst of life’s storms; may this be a place of nourishment of your physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual well-being; may it be a place where you truly belong; may this be a place where you will feel truly at home; and may you also share to others this blessing of having a “home-sweet-home.”
THE ELLIS EXPERIENCE 