WORD 2day: I chose you!

Celebrating St Mathias, the Apostle: 14th May, 2015

Acts 1: 15-17, 20-26; Jn 15: 16

Every relationship is a response! Relationships can never be forced upon persons. I wish to relate to a person, I choose to relate to the person and then I leave the response of the person, to the freedom of that person! Only then there is a healthy relationship that blooms. It is the same with God's choice too!

You have not chosen me, I chose you!, reminds Jesus today. With the beautiful example of Mathias and Barsabbas, Jesus brings out another element of the election theology! When God chooses, God chooses individuals (not masses), for a unique purpose and specific plan. As God reminds us through Jeremiah, God has a plan for each of us (Jer 29:11) and God alone knows what the plan is and how it would come through. All that we need to do is submit, surrender to that plan and walk by it.

And when God chooses, God chooses not for merely privilege, position and power; but for commitment, suffering and giving one's life! At times today, as the readings of the past Sunday reminded us, we cannot stop with thinking we are chosen therefore we are special! We are chosen, we are special but it does not stop with that; we are specially chosen to strive, fight, struggle, suffer and thus, usher in the Reign of God. Mathias is counted in the band of apostles. Of course a privilege, but with that came the burden of the Messenger of the Word, the burden of the Elder of the Community and the burden of a Shepherd.

The Word speaks today: You are chosen! Are you ready for all that it entails?