The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone.
This is the work of the Lord, a marvel in our eyes.
It wasn't until today's Mass that I associated this familiar verse from Ps 117 with St Peter, the rock on which Christ built his Church. Usually we think of Christ as being that rejected but key foundation stone - and indeed such he is. Yet when this verse is considered in the light of Mt 16, there is a clear echo. Simon Peter, so prominent in the liturgy of the word in recent days, through his hotheaded declarations of loyalty, his subsequent disavowal, his witness of the risen Lord, and his repentance and commissioning by Our Lord at the sea of Galilee, is shown in today's reading from the Acts of the Apostles as the pre-eminent wonderworker and witness to the Resurrection, the Prince of the Apostles who continues the miraculous healing ministry of his master. Truly the rejected stone has now become the cornerstone of the newborn church, and is himself a builder of the community of believers through his words and his great miracles.
Doubt no more, but believe.
