Bible
Study: Ephesians 2, 13 to 22. And Luke 6, 12 to 16.
As we
celebrate the Feast of two out of the twelve great apostles, Simon and Jude
today, our readings challenge us to reflect on the concept of our election and
choice before God. The question is: “Did Simon and Jude become saints simply because
they were chosen by Jesus as his apostles?” If that is the case, then why do we
have to celebrate them since they were simply lucky to have been chosen,
perhaps if some other persons were chosen, then they also would have become
saints, isn’t it? Well, that is far from the truth.
First and
foremost, we must understand that nothing happens to us by chance. There is no
such thing as mere luck or what scientists refer to as “random selection”, we
are products of a God who is purposeful, a God who prepares things before hand,
a God of whom Jeremiah spoke about as saying: “For I know the plans I have for
you, says the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future
and a hope.” Jeremiah 29, 11. Jesus did not simply do guess work in his choice
of the apostles. He didn’t select them according to their good looks or merely
according to their line of trade. He spent a whole night in prayer, consulting
with God who has plans, before making his choice.
Like every
good parent, God has plans for us his children. No responsible parent brings a
child into the world without first making certain plans on how to ensure the
future of that child, in fact, parents already have ideas of what they want
their children to become even before they are born. It is in this light that
St. Paul tell us in today’s first reading that we are not just strangers or foreigners
to God, we are his children; citizens of God’s household. As long as we
continue to pray the lines of the “Our Father,” which states, “thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven,” we continue to remind both God and ourselves that
we are not strangers, we are his children and we want his plans for us to come
to pass in our lives.
God wills
the best for us, but, there are times when our own will, runs contrary to the
will of God. Just as sometimes, a child may decide to deviate from his parents’
plans for him. There are times when like Christ, we also pray: “Father, if it
is possible, let this cup pass me by, but not as I will, instead let your will prevail.”
There are also times, we tell God out rightly, “I know what you want for me,
but God, let my own will be done instead.” Every sin is a deliberate attempt on
our part to reject the will of God for us. And you know what? God does not
force his way on us.
That is
why we should not be surprised that having spent a whole night in prayer,
having asked for discernment over the choice of the twelve men who would carry
on the message of salvation to the rest of the world, Jesus, being God, in all
his wisdom still chose Judas Iscariot, the very guy who would betray him. Do
you think Judas was chosen so as to betray Jesus? Not at all. Anyone of the
entire twelve could have betrayed Jesus because they were the only ones who
knew Jesus personally and could identify him. As much as the twelve were equally
tempted, only Judas gave in to it. He had a chance like Simon and Jude to
fulfil God’s will in his life as well.
So we
celebrate Simon and Jude today because they co-operated with God. They were
chosen, but they also worked hard, they strove to live above temptations, they
carried out Jesus’ instructions and they proclaimed the Gospel to millions.
Let us Pray:
Lord
Jesus, give me the grace to know and understand your will for my life and
follow it diligently everyday. Amen. Saints Simon and Jude, pray for us.
Good morning.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you.
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