What an Honor

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another. John 15:16-17

When Jesus was talking to the apostles about him choosing them, and how he appointed them to go out and bear fruit that will remain. They did as he asked! We have all that we know by the one's Jesus chose to bring forth fruit. And to this day he continues to chose the men and women that are called to the religious life, to continually bring forth abundant fruit. It's true too, we do not choose him, but he chooses us. Too often we are too busy living our lives to pay attention to God and his call. But we are never too busy to answer the phone when our friends or family call. Or to hurry up to go out when an invitation comes. But from what I read we seem to seek the supernatural, from sources that we should not be going. I think we tend to be more the one's who are a contradiction.

I'm not immune to this either, I did my fair share of doing my own thing and not listening to God. We tend to be a product of the environment around us. It's when we learn to dissolve the environment that is unhealthy, that we understand God's reasoning. No matter what we have done, or where we have erred, when God chooses us, it's an honor. It's like the most important person in the world has called. We can't make others call us so we may be followers, yet when God calls, it truly is an honor of the highest degree. And one that is abused the most. Because when he chose he also commanded, not asked, to love one another.

When we are chosen to live out a vocation as married, he commands that we love each other. Not in the physical sense that we are to go and have sexual relations with every one we meet. But to love genuinely from our hearts. This is his command, and this is one command we all have trouble doing.