The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes. – Matthew 21:42, Psalm 118:22-23
Jesus is the Head and Cornerstone of the Church. He is the Head, the one who leads the Church with wisdom (CCC 792). He is also the Cornerstone, the foundation of the Church, the one on which all worship, liturgy, sacraments, ministry, and teaching are built (see Lumen Gentium, 6 and CCC 756). We are the “living stones” (1 Peter 2:5) of the Church, the Body of Christ. The Head and the Body make up the Church, a place for God to live among us:
And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
– Ephesians 1:22
So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone; in him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.
– Ephesians 2:20-22
This causes me to consider how my own life is built. Is Christ truly the Head of my life? Do I unite my will to His in all things, or have I been stubborn or neglectful of listening to what God wants from me in prayer? Does He truly reign in my heart (see 1 Peter 3:15)?
Is Jesus truly my Cornerstone, the one on whom everything else is built around? Or do I put other things in place of where Jesus should be placed, “rejecting” Him? Alternatively, do I pridefully place myself in the place of the “cornerstone” by having the point of view that I am the most important actor in my life instead of Christ Himself? If so, how can I change that see in order to see myself as a “living stone” of the Church, one among many and certainly not the most important (see Philippians 2:3)?
Do I seek to build up the Church, God’s dwelling place, by generously giving of my time, talent, and treasure?
Jesus, thank you for your Church! Help me to be obedient to you, my Head. Help me examine and rearrange my life to put You in Your rightful place as my Cornerstone. Finally, give me the grace to build up your Church by being a good steward of all you have given me.