“The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” Matthew 21:42

            This is one of my favorite images from the Gospel of Matthew. I find it to be a good Lenten reflection as we approach Holy Week and await the readings  proclaiming  that even Jesus was rejected and betrayed by those he had healed and ministered to so selflessly.  As we contemplate our lives of following Jesus during these forty days, we are also reminded that each of us has an important place in the building of God’s Kingdom on earth.  God,   in His all-knowing  wisdom,  is aware of how we will support those we are in community with by our presence, concern and faithfulness to their needs.

            My brother Steve owns a construction company and he often tells of the challenges of building fieldstone walls.  Customers often choose the stones of various shapes and sizes.  It is much more difficult to build a structure with these mis-matched  stones than it is to mortar together a standard wall of even bricks.  He tells the story of spending an entire day trying to finish a fieldstone fireplace.  His workers kept  wanting to use a stone from the collection which he failed to approve.    He was unhappy with it’s color and shape and so he repeatedly refused to use it.  Finally, at the end of a long afternoon, he agreed to let his crew place it into a prominent spot in the wall.  That rejected stone was the key to supporting and balancing the rest of the chosen ones and the project was completed.

            These words from Jesus foreshadow the rejection He will experience on His journey to Calvary.  Even  on a gloomy March day, when we may feel lost or  unrecognized in the eyes of the world, this same Gospel message reminds us  that for every moment of our lives we have a precious place in supporting the Mystical Body of Christ on  earth.  The mystery of our unique place in God’s plan for us continues to unfold through days made up of darkness and light.