Saturday of the Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

“Consider your own calling, brother and sisters. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many of noble birth.” It is true that not many among us are of great standing in the world’s eyes, yet we are still chosen. Why is this the case? St. Paul tells us, so “that no human being might boast before God,” but rather, “whoever boast, should boast in the Lord.” If God only chose the strong, powerful, and wise of the world to do good they might think it is by their own power that these good deeds came to be. But rather God’s power is often reviled through the poor, weak, the unwise, the lowly and despised so that God’s mercy and love might be attributed to his grace working through his chosen ones. This doesn’t mean that we are not to work hard at our calling and fulfilling of God’s will in our lives. We must trust that the talents we have are are the reasons we are chosen, and God desires us to use these talents to the fullest, so that we might bare much fruit for him. We are chosen by God in our weakness because God sees our hearts and knows that what we have to offer is unique. He desires this from us because no one else can give what we have to offer. God’s grace working in us gives us the strength and courage we need to fulfil his will for our lives, so that we might hear him say to us when we enter into his kingdom, “Well done, my good and faithful servant…Come, share your master’s joy.”

Reflection by Br. Placid Dale, OSB