Come to him, to that living stone. rejected by men but in God's sight chosen and precious; and like living stones be yourselves built.

St. Peter's First Universal Letter 1:1-25; 2:1-10

PETER, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the exiles of the Dispersion in
Pontos, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen and destined by
God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus
Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you. Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born
anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and
unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are guarded through
faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this
you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer
various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than
gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise
and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Without having
seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in
him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome of
your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls.

The prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours
searched and inquired about this salvation; they inquired what person or
time was indicated by the Spirit of Christ within them when predicting
the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glory. It was revealed to
them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things
which have now been announced to you by those who preached the good
news to you through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into
which angels long to look.

Therefore gird up your minds, be sober, set your hope fully upon the grace
that is coming to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient
children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but
as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your
conduct; since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." And if
you invoke as Father him who judges each one impartially according to
his deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your
exile. You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited
from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,
but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without
blemish or spot. He was destined before the foundation of the world but
was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake. Through him
you have confidence in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him
glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere
love of the brethren, love one another earnestly from the heart. You
have been born anew, not of perishable seed but of imperishable,
through the living and abiding word of God; for "All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and
the flower falls, but the word of the Lord abides for ever." That
word is the good news which was preached to you.

So put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and
all slander. Like newborn babes, long for the pure spiritual milk,
that by it you may grow up to salvation; for you have tasted the
kindness of the Lord.

Come to him, to that living stone. rejected by men but in God's sight
chosen and precious; and like living stones be yourselves built.