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“You did not choose me; no, I chose you, and I commissioned you to go out and bear fruit, fruit that will last.” – John 15:16. The apostles knew the truth of Jesus’ words. Each one could vividly recall the day they were “called” to follow Jesus. Peter, Andrew, James, and John were fishing when Jesus invited them to serve Him. Matthew was sitting at his tax collector’s desk when he received the call. They all responded to His invitation, leaving their livelihoods behind for a new life. Later, after a night of prayer, they were specially chosen for service and given the name “apostles.” (Luke 6:12-13)
Paul, too, could never forget the day of his calling by Jesus—the moment he was struck down on the road to Damascus. “Then I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord answered, ‘I am Jesus, and you are persecuting me. But get up and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this reason: to appoint you as my servant.’” (Acts 26:15-16) Paul was chosen by Jesus even before he realized who Jesus truly was and appointed to serve Him while he was still persecuting Him.
Today, there is an essential emphasis on choosing Jesus Christ to be the Lord of our lives and making a personal commitment to God. Without this active decision, we may remain passive Christians without the desire and perseverance to prioritize God in our lives. However, while the importance of making this decision is evident, we must not overlook a more fundamental truth: God chose us before we chose Him. Even if we had not been born into the faith or had lived as if we never knew Jesus, He would have orchestrated circumstances for us to hear His call and be drawn to Himself.
Furthermore, we have been chosen for a specific purpose—to bear lasting fruit. Like Paul, we have been appointed as servants with a task to fulfill. It may not always be work we volunteered for or would choose if given the option, but it is work that Jesus asks us to do. When God calls us, He also equips us, though His choices may not always align with human understanding.
For instance, the twelve apostles were initially hesitant to accept Paul, the former persecutor of Christians, as a fellow servant of Christ (Acts 9:26). However, God had a specific mission for Paul—the proclamation of the gospel to the Gentiles—and required a person with Paul’s unique character to carry it out.
God’s plan for our lives is not arbitrary; He knows us deeply—our strengths and weaknesses. He is aware of the gifts of service bestowed upon us and how we fit into His plan of salvation. Thus, we should freely embrace the service Jesus invites us to perform and carry it out with hope and trust. Let us recognize that it is Jesus who called us to be His servants and continues to call us to serve.
As St. Paul wisely stated in 2 Cor 5:15, “He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised.” May we humbly respond to God’s call, knowing that He chose us, appointed us for a divine purpose, and equips us for every task He sets before us.
Christian families are missionary families, in their everyday life, in their doing everyday things, as they bring to everything the salt and the leaven of faith!
Pope Francis 