Imagine a roaring river that separates a village from a great city. A group of villagers come together and, despite the danger, take on the hard work of constructing a bridge. They endure hours of backbreaking labour, the ridicule of onlookers, and the danger of the treacherous river itself.  Finally, the bridge is completed. The villagers discover the wonders of the city they could barely imagine from their side of the river. Some villagers take on the work of maintaining the bridge, repairing and replacing broken planks and pylons. Others assist the elderly and sick across the bridge so they can receive care in the city that is unavailable to them in their village.

Of course, there are those who ignore the bridge, happy to stay in their village, wanting nothing to do with the city. There are also those who regularly use the bridge but contribute nothing to its upkeep nor provide assistance to other users. And then there are the despicable few who devise schemes to scare people away from the bridge or control access to the bridge for their own power and profit.

The Church is like that bridge. Christ is both the designer and builder of this bridge from our world to God over life’s treacherous waters. Peter and Paul and the great teachers and missionaries who came before us have maintained that bridge and have guided so many travellers across its span to the city of God.

The bridge that is the Church is now in our care, that we may cross the treacherous waters of our lives to God’s city and help others do the same. As we celebrate today the solemnity of two of the great builders of the Church, may we recommit ourselves to being generous and committed builders and caretakers of this holy bridge from our village to the city of God