This Sunday’s second reading (1 Peter 2:4) begins: “Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings, but chosen and precious in the sight of God.”
At times, we’ve all felt rejected. For children and teens, that feeling can come as a constant pressure to fit in—to find your place, group, or identity. And when you finally feel like you’ve found it, something shifts. A friendship changes. You’re left out of something. You realize you’re not as “in” as you thought. Suddenly, you’re on the outside looking in again.
That experience doesn’t necessarily go away as we get older; it just takes different forms. It might be trying to build a relationship that simply doesn’t work out. Maybe it’s bringing forward an idea at work that you’re excited about, only to be met with silence…or worse, dismissal. Sometimes, rejection leads us in a better direction. But more often, it just hurts.
And yet, in the midst of those moments, this reading offers something powerful. Even when we feel rejected by others, overlooked, unworthy, or unloved, we are reminded that we are chosen and precious in the sight of God.
The reading goes on to say that the stone rejected by the builders became the cornerstone. What others dismissed, God chose as the foundation. That same truth applies to us. Others’ opinions or acceptance do not determine our value. God sees us differently. God sees our worth, our dignity, and our purpose, even when others may not.
Whenever those feelings of rejection surface, we are invited to remember who calls us. God calls us “out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). We are not defined by the moments when we are left out, overlooked, or misunderstood. We are defined by God, who always chooses us.
That may be easier said than done. But in those moments, a simple prayer from this Sunday’s Responsorial Psalm can guide us: “Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.”
So, when you sense those feelings arise, pause and remember: You are chosen, you are precious, and you are loved—and that truth is something no one can take away.
