We are no longer Strangers and Sojourners

Today's scripture reading is taken from Ephesian 2:19-22
Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

What jumped out at me was St. Paul's exhortation: "You are no longer strangers and sojourners". What? I had always been taught that this world was not my home. I was but a sojourner (or an alien) on my way to my real home which was heaven where Jesus promised to prepare a room in His mansion for me (John 14:2).  I even once spent a few days staying with a Christian Community called the Sojourners Community in Washington, DC to learn about living in a community dedicated to social justice. I had always found the idea compelling that this life on earth is not worth keeping comparing to the life to come. As the famous missionary martyr Jim Elliot famously said "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible didn't have anything on this verse. So I go back to read the entire chapter 2 of Ephesian to understand the context. St. Paul began by reminding us that we were once dead through trespasses and sins (verse 1). "But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (verses 4-7) This describes the reality both now and in the future. And the purpose of this earthly life is "For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." (verse 10). Starting in verse 11-12 is where the idea of strangers and sojourners (aliens in NRSVCE translation and foreigners in NIV translation) come in. St. Paul was speaking to Gentiles who were once not part of the Commonwealth of Israel, but now because of the Jesus, who "reconcile[d] both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it." (verse 16) and "through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. "(verse 18). That's when he said "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God,  built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone." (verses 19-20)

So the idea that we are no longer strangers and aliens (Greek: xenos and paroikos) but are now citizens (Greek sympolitēs) is related to becoming God's one family uniting what used to be two distinct groups - Jews and Gentiles. Two really Catholic ideas have become more clear today from this passage:
(1) The Kingdom of God is here and now and will always include Jews who were the people God had chosen to bring about salvation to the whole world.
(2) The foundation of this Kingdom (and the Household of God) is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ himself as the cornerstone, which to me is the Catholic Church for the last two millennium!

Canada just celebrated 150 years 3 days ago. I became a citizen in 1981. I love this adopted country but I love my spiritual Kingdom even more!!