The Cornerstone

Readings for Friday April 17, 2009

First Reading:  Acts 4:1-12  

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 118

Gospel:  John 21:1-14

If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved,
then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed.
He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 
There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved" (Acts 4:9-12)

I remember as a kid, I used to play with legos a lot.   I built lots of stuff, cars, houses, tanks, robots ... with a child's imagination the sky was the limit!  I do remember that when I was building, any piece that do not fit where I wanted or matched the color scheme that I had wanted was quickly tossed to the side.  I only chose the pieces that worked with what I wanted, and anything that challenged that we cast aside.  

My mentality as a kid with legos was not far off from the Jewish leaders mindset when Jesus came about.  Jesus was not what they expected as the messiah, He did fit in where they wanted, He didn't match up with them or meet their standards, and He challenged what they did and said.  The Jews were probably thinking of how could they build with this stone that didn't fit what they wanted to create?  And that is exactly the problem right there, they were thinking of what they wanted, not what God wanted.  They were set in their own ideas of what they wanted to build, they did not think of what God wanted them to build and how God sent them the foundation of which to build off.  

Jesus is the cornerstone, and the foundation of which we should be building our lives.  We should not be trying to make Jesus fit into our plans, but instead we should be trying to fit into His and asking God how we can be a part of His kingdom.  Saint Peter warns us here that there is salvation through only one name, and that is Jesus Christ.  Let us not spend our lives trying to attain salvation on our own, but rather on building our lives on and around Christ, the cornerstone.

Father above, we thank you for the gift of this day.  Lord, we thank you and give you praise for all that you bless us with.  Lord, you are our rock and our salvation, may we only build upon you and never reject you.  Lord, we pray for all those with hard hearts that are in need of conversion, may they come to you and humble themselves before you our Lord.  We ask this all through Christ our Lord.  Amen.