The author of the Letter of St Peter makes bold use of many Old Testament quotations and images to stress what a radical transformation occurs in those who receive the sacrament of Baptism. Through the sacrament by which we are joined to Christ, we are also joined together with all other Christians as 'living stones,' forming a new "spiritual house," a new temple, with Christ as the cornerstone and the Spirit bonding us all together. The four titles used in the Hebrew Scriptures to designate the Jewish people, are now ascribed to those who have received Baptism and reveal the astonishing transfiguration which has occurred. Through Baptism we have become (1) a "chosen race" - a people who share a corporate destiny and election; (2) a "royal priesthood" -a people dedicated to the worship and service of God, our king, after the image of a priest/royal courtier; (3) a "holy nation" - a people sent apart from the merely secular world and its activities in service of a sacred mission; (4) "God's own people" - no longer isolated individuals in a world divided by so many barriers and distinctions, but a people forged into a new unity, transcending all differences of race, language, and culture. It is not because of anything we have done or ever could do that we have received this wonderful election - it was due simply to God's mercy and loving kindness.