A Letter from Fr. Paul - Sunday, May 7th

In our second reading from the first letter of St. Peter, we find a very powerful image of “stone,” used to show what Christ is for us and what we should be as a result.  

We are told that Christ is a “living stone,” that is, he has risen from the dead and lives again.  He is “the cornerstone,” the foundation of a spiritual house.  How is he a cornerstone?  As we are told in the Gospel, Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  He grounds us in the truth, He gives us life, and He leads us on our way.

We for our part, are “living stones…to be built into a spiritual house.”  God is building something, something that will last since it is built of stone.  Jesus is the foundation; we need to build upon that foundation and help complete his house.  In other words, we have been given the foundation that we need in Jesus: our part is to cooperate in being “living stones” in his community.  We need to live as he lived, bringing his goodness and kindness to others.

How should we live?  Each of us has a different place and responsibility in life.  Some of us are parents or grandparents or teachers or students or friends or…  The specific details of our responsibilities are unique to each of us and change as we move through life. But HOW we should live in each and every situation we find ourselves is modeled by Jesus: the way, the truth, and the life.  He thought of others and their needs, not just himself.  He 
accepted and gave dignity to those rejected by society.  He was forgiving and gracious to those who denied Him. Though He was tired and tried to go off by Himself to rest, He responded to the crowds that found Him. In other words, He included the needs of others in what was important to Him.
 
My friends, our faith is not just something we profess, but rather something we LIVE.  We are to be living stones, built on the cornerstone of Jesus, who showed us the way, the truth and the life. I invite us this week to reflect on the images of “stone” that we find in this reading: how am I doing at being a living stone, built on the cornerstone of Jesus?  And let us support each other in prayer.

Church sign of the week: Pray as if everything depends on God. Act as if everything depends on you.