Who is Doing the Choosing?
The Church has done something unusual in setting up the calendar of readings. Today’s Gospel reading is a portion of the Gospel reading from yesterday. I am not sure why the Church did that, especially on back to back days except to emphasis the importance of the passage.
But, before we go on and look at the reading, I beg your patience for a little aside. Today is an optional memorial feast on the Church calendar.
It is not widely celebrated. Perhaps though it has special significance for us right now in our world. Today is the memorial feast of Saint Isadore, the farmer. Saint Isadore was a simple farmer who cared for the land. He was known for his piety and his care for the poor and small animals. The virus that is devastating our world is also devastating to our farmers. They have nowhere to sell their harvest. The fruit of the land that they have toiled for is being wasted. As we go through today, let’s remember to pray for farmers who work the land to put food on our tables.
Now, back to today’s Gospel reading. The last section says this, “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.”
What independent people we are! So very often we think about all the choices in life we make. We believe we are in charge of our own destiny. At least that is how we seem to approach the world and our faith.
I choose to believe, and I decide to act on that belief through how I live and worship. I do not deny that we have free will, so we can decline God’s choice. We can choose to run from His desire for us. But we should know He doesn’t make saying “no” to His call easy.
Francis Thompson, in the mid-1800s, wrote a poem called The Hound of Heaven. It is a beautiful poem (called an Ode), and I encourage you today to find it. If you look on YouTube, you can find some marvelous readings of the poem. It is the story of God (the Hound) chasing one who does not want to choose him through all the byways of heaven. Perhaps in your life, there was a time when you stepped away and did not want to accept God anymore. But something brought you back. God was “hounding” you. God chooses you, and He would not let go quickly.
Most times, we think we have chosen to believe in Jesus. We have chosen to follow the call of the Gospel. We like to think we are in control. This reading tells a far different story. God chose us, and He sends us forth to bear fruit. We are the beloved of God, and he has chosen us specifically and particularly. He has given us talents and gifts, and he has sent us into the world to bear fruit and make a difference. Jesus asks only one thing of us. Love one another as He has loved us.
God loved us from before the world began. He chose us before we were born. God loved us throughout all time. And, Jesus’ final command was to love one another as He loved. Jesus is commanding us to Be Love. Every day, we are asked to give everything in the name of Love as he gave everything for the sake of Love. Every day, when we awaken, we are chosen again to be God’s agent of Love.
Today, I sit here before dawn and wonder, “How will I be faithful to God’s choice of me? How will I love as Jesus did?” I ask you the same. You are the chosen of God. Be Love today for those whose lives touch yours. And then get up and do it again tomorrow. That’s what it means to be chosen by God.
In God’s Unending love,
Gwen
