On this Wednesday is the second week of Easter we continue with Peter’s first letter wherein he tells his readers:
Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: ‘See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’
To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner’, and ‘A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.’ They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Pet. 2:1-10)
Peter, “the Rock”, is inviting his readers to become “living stones” in building a spiritual house that will offer sacrifice, i.e., that will sanctify. How do we as living stones make life holy, sacred? Peter gives us the answer; he tells us that we are God’s people who have received mercy. Being recipients of God’s mercy, we must show mercy to others. In doing this, we proclaim the Risen Christ.
Let us pray: O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love all people, including our enemies: Lead us from prejudice to truth: deliver us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially Patricia Robinson, Randy Furlong, Peggy Tuthill, and all of those who may be ill at this time.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: ‘See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’
To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner’, and ‘A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.’ They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Pet. 2:1-10)
Peter, “the Rock”, is inviting his readers to become “living stones” in building a spiritual house that will offer sacrifice, i.e., that will sanctify. How do we as living stones make life holy, sacred? Peter gives us the answer; he tells us that we are God’s people who have received mercy. Being recipients of God’s mercy, we must show mercy to others. In doing this, we proclaim the Risen Christ.
Let us pray: O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love all people, including our enemies: Lead us from prejudice to truth: deliver us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially Patricia Robinson, Randy Furlong, Peggy Tuthill, and all of those who may be ill at this time.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
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