Today's Thoughts...

Today’s Thoughts: It is the feast of St. Matthias today. If you remember from yesterday’s first reading or today’s first reading Matthias is the person chosen after the resurrection to take Judas’ place among the twelve. So, we first call upon Matthias’ spirit of faith in the Risen Lord to guide and direct us today.
 
“You are my friends…. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you.”  Two reflections by Jesus in John’s Gospel (John 15:9-17) this morning that I have always given me pause for thought.
 
On the one hand there is something comforting about being a friend of Jesus. Yes, this friendship demands a lot and is not always easy but being identified as a friend of Jesus often helps me to know that I am never alone. When you think about it someone who is willing to and did lay down his life for me is not going to walk away from me. The only person who can walk away from this relationship is me!
 
The second reflection by Jesus is a little more of a struggle. I guess I would prefer to think that I am in control, that I am the one doing the choosing and to a certain extent I have chosen God. However, when I look back over my life I can see the signs of God’s hand, of Jesus’ invitation. I can see God’s plan at work in the story of my life. I am who I am today not because I chose God but because God chose me!
 
I have come to believe that it is God who does the choosing, extending the invitation to be friends. After all we can put Jesus’ words together with Psalm 139. “O God you probe me, and you know…. You formed my inmost being: you knit me in my mother’s womb.” Yes, God did the choosing long ago. God chose to create me, and Jesus chose me as a friend.
 
God so loves the world that each of us are fearfully, wonderfully made so as we live this day let us trust in our friendship with God and live the gift that God has created us to be!
 
Happy feast of St. Matthias everyone and have a great Monday!