Sunday Reflections

There is a story about a couple whose son was a helicopter pilot.  One day when he was visiting his parents he and his father were talking about the mechanisms involved in the aircraft.  He told his parents that the whirling rotor is held in place by a single hexagonal nut.  He asked them if they knew the particular name given to this nut.  Of course, they had no idea.  He said it is called the ‘Jesus nut’, because it holds together this most important and crucial part of the helicopter.  Without it the helicopter cannot fly.  All their trust is in that nut.

I thought of this story when I read both the First Reading and Gospel.  Both of them introduce us to significant images of Jesus and His role in the life of the people of God.

In the First Reading Peter tells the people about the power of Jesus Christ as Saviour of the world.  He tells the people that Jesus “is the stone rejected by you, the builders, who has become the cornerstone”.  What an interesting image for Jesus – a cornerstone.  We know what a cornerstone is.  It is unique from all the other building materials used in the construction.  It takes on a significance in the life of the building.  It distinguishes the building and can even become a symbol of the building.

Jesus is that cornerstone upon which God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, has built the Church.  Although Peter tells the people listening to him that they rejected Him and His message of eternal life, and the salvation He promised, He was the one chosen to be the first and most important of the spiritual building of the people of God.  As God-made-man, He is the foundation stone of the Church and of our lives. 

In the gospel, Jesus speaks to us of the beautiful image of the Good Shepherd.  We are very familiar with this image in Scripture.  Once again, Jesus has given us an idea of his role in our lives – the role He wants to have.  It is a leadership role.  However, sometimes in our human condition we don’t want someone to lead us.  We want to do it our way!  Jesus says that we are to “hear His voice”.  If we truly hear and listen, He will lead us to the fullness of life here and now.  The fullness of Easter joy, in the eternal life to come, will be ours if we “hear His voice”, and follow Him.