Speak Lord: Our stability and strength

The Lord is the living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him; set yourselves close to him so that you too, the holy priesthood that offers the spiritual sacrifices which Jesus Christ has made acceptable to God, may be living stones making a spiritual house. As scripture says: See how I lay in Zion a precious cornerstone that I have chosen and the man who rests his trust on it will not be disappointed. That means that for you who are believers, it is precious; but for unbelievers, the stone rejected by the builders has proved to be the keystone, a stone to stumble over, a rock to bring men down. They stumble over it because they do not believe in the word; it was the fate in store for them.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people set apart to sing the praises of God who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

1 Peter 2:4-9

The second reading at Mass tomorrow, the 5th Sunday of Easter, reminds of how the Lord is what holds all things together for us. Without him, all tumbles

Peter and the other disciples learnt that again and again. We too, perhaps are learning that again and again, and often because when we forget everything does tumble, and then we need his help to get things back together and grow up, move forward…

And what a dignity is ours when , in Christ, we do get it together – called from confusion and tumble, out of darkness into light, and honoured as ministers of the Lord and his Gospel.

• Where does Jesus support your life?
• What in your life shows signs of ‘structural fault’ because it lacks his holding things together?
• How do you serve?

Sion Abbey, Jerusalem. (c) 2012, Allen Morris.