Friday within the Octave of Easter

Leaders of the people and elders: If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed. He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.

Our every thought, word, and work should be done in the name of Jesus. No matter what we are doing, the spirit of Christ should be within us and guiding our decisions. We might be at home, at school, at work, at play, or anywhere in-between, but no matter where we are our faith, hope, and love in Jesus ought to guide us. Our good deeds ought to have the good of others and the glory of God as their aim. They should be done in the name of Jesus Christ. We shouldn't shy away from proclaiming the Good News in our actions both great and small. Jesus ought to be the cornerstone of our lives, the foundation of our faith, the saving shelter of our souls. There is no other name by which we are saved and so his name above all names ought to be ever on our lips.

Do we honor Jesus by thinking, speaking, and acting in his name? How can we bring Jesus into every facet of our lives? What do we need to do to make Jesus the cornerstone of our lives and keep him there forever?

O Lord, it is in your name that we find salvation.

Amen.