We did not happen upon Jesus Christ. Our relationship with him was known before we were created. The Father knows who belongs to him and who will say yes to his love. While we have free will he knows what we do and what we think. He knows already when we will fall and who will get up and finally join him in communion.
Everything was known. The Father knew Jesus would need to come down to us and be one of us in order to save us from sin. He knew this before the world was created. But it is always our choice. He just knows the end of the story.
Which brings us to today. In the Gospel, Jesus is choosing his disciples after prayers and meditation. They are not brilliant men. They are not rich men. They are not exalted for position or influence over others. As St John of the Cross tells us and scripture reminds us again and again. If we think we are smart or brilliant we are incredibly lacking compared to God. If we come to Mass and think we are holy, we have not scratched the surface of holiness compared to those in heaven. Man’s thoughts are not Gods thoughts. And our journey to him is through his plan, not ours. For in the big picture, we have no idea what is best for us except in the simplest choices we make.
We have been chosen by God not because of our brilliance or strength or devotion. We have been chosen because he loves us and we have said yes to his love. Yes, to Jesus Christ’s commandments.
We didn’t use our intellect to get there. One cannot reason their way to faith and love. We are born with natural law written in our hearts and born in the likeness of God. We are the glove made to be filled with the hand of God, the Holy Spirit.
Without the Holy Spirit we are useless and unable to do anything of significance to our true mission on earth.
We have been created for Him. We have been called to discipleship for him. We have only to make room inside for the Spirit and then ask ourselves what is the end of our story?
What do we want it to be? Careful thought and consideration is needed here. If we just cruise through life and get by with minimal prayer and church and minimal devotion, we will miss the mark.
If I want to be physically strong, I know I must lift weights and exercise at a higher level than I am comfortable with. I have to push and do more to progress in strength. There is no other way to strength but by pushing past what we can easily lift.
I know if I want to have a healthy and mobile old age, I need to eat right today. Get rid of anything that does not provide clean healthy food and ingredients. If I want to be healthy but never really push past limits, never say no to sugar and poor food, or never really eat a clean diet, I will fail. I have to determine what is needed for the road and plan to do those things. It takes discipline and it takes accepting that pain will come and our bodies will not want what we know is best. Growth whether it is physical or mental or spiritual never comes except by pushing through pain at a gym, or pushing past the wrong food that our body may crave. Pushing past quick comfort and satisfaction in all things that do not help us reach our goal and hit our target.
Like everything in life we must aim at the bull’s eye in our spiritual life too. The exact spot on a target of our primary goal in life should be what we want the end of the story to be.
If we want eternal life in Heaven, then each day should be given to Jesus for his works and by his will. We are either setting ourselves up for success or we are failing altogether.
Like the disciples, we are chosen. If our yes is to mean anything, it must be followed through with conscious actions and plans to meet Jesus as a friend in heaven who knows us.
Like all things, spiritual growth will include difficult times that will test us. Losses that will temper us. Struggles that will prepare us to rise above what is easy or comfortable but grow closer to God and change our will to align with his excluding anything that stops us…even ourselves.
For the disciple lives for Jesus Christ now. What do we want the end of our story to be? Holiness, eternal life with God? What are we planning to do today to get there?
Deacon Tony Pynes 
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