The Catholic Calendar for Saturday, May 20, 2006
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter
St. Bernardine of Siena, priest

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Acts 16:1-10
Psalm 100:1-3, 5
John 15:18-21

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

"I have chosen you out of the world."

Much of this passage seems so negative -- the world will hate you because you love me and the world has already hated me. But there is within all of the warning the true kernel of joy and it is the certain knowledge that Jesus Christ has chosen us from out of the world.

The reality is that God does choose everyone, but not everyone chooses to respond to God. How should we respond to this choice? What does it mean to be chosen?

For one thing, it means that we recognize Who sent Christ to us. The Holy Spirit within teaches us to see, and teaching us to see will also allow us to teach others to see. Being chosen means that we are the sighted among the blind and it is our duty to lead the blind to the Lord so that He might enlighten their minds, eyes, and hearts. Being chosen means that we know Love and can make Love known to others. Being chosen means that God is with us in whatever we do.

Being chosen means desiring that all of God's children see their chosenness; that all come to Him sooner rather than later. Indeed, being chosen means desiring God's happiness for everyone, because we cannot love God if we do not love one another.

- JuandelaCruz
(sriddle415 at yahoo dot com)