“The Chosen Ones”
by Amilee Bishop, Fiat Ventures
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
For the past two weeks, I have been working with a group of 6th graders at a summer religious education program. When we brainstormed ideas for a group name, one of the boys jokingly suggested “The Chosen Ones”. I don’t know if he was thinking about Harry Potter, or Anakin Skywalker, or someone else, but the more I thought about it, the more I loved the name: we ARE the Chosen Ones! And I don’t mean just our 6th grade group. God calls ALL of us to be His Chosen Ones.
In this week’s readings, we hear about a few of God’s earliest Chosen Ones. Amos, a lowly shepherd and cultivator of sycamore trees, was sent to Israel to prophesy in God’s name. But like many other prophets, he was sent away, mistaken for a liar by people who were unwilling to listen.
The second reading is a letter from Paul, telling the Ephesians about all of the amazing graces we receive from God through the Sacraments. He says to them, “in him we were also chosen…so that we might exist for the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:11-12).
In the Gospel, Jesus calls each of the twelve apostles to leave everything behind and share the Good News. He didn’t tell them to preach only to his followers, or only their families, or only to a certain group of people. He tells them to preach to every house they enter. Every single house!
Like Amos and the apostles, we are God’s Chosen Ones, chosen as his beloved children. And as his children, we are called to “praise his glory”, and share the light of Christ with others. But God doesn’t ask things of us that are beyond our capabilities. He gives us the help we need to be successful. Even the apostles were sent out “two by two,” so that they were not alone in their task. And we aren’t alone, either! Through baptism and confirmation, each of us has received the Holy Spirit, who gives us the guidance and strength we need to answer God’s call.
But also like Amos and the apostles, we may face rejection, or people who are unwilling to open their hearts to hear God’s message for them. We may even doubt our own capabilities. If this is the case, don’t lose hope! Even the greatest men and women of God were rejected for their teaching, or doubted God’s call. What’s important is to persevere in love. God didn’t choose you by mistake!
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