Access daily Mass readings, meditations and articles, as well as special resources, by becoming a subscriber or logging in. Subscribers: Please log in to view the Mass readings. Not a subscriber? Subscribe for only $12 (Save $4). It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you. (John 15:16) It was the night before he died, and Jesus knew that his disciples would abandon him in just a few hours. He knew that they might later doubt their calling. And he knew that if they were going to withstand the challenges they would face while building his Church, they needed to be confident that they had been personally chosen, called by God. Jesus himself surely experienced the confidence that this “choosing” brings, especially as he entered into his passion. He likely recalled the conviction he felt in his “Father’s house” when his parents found him in the Temple (Luke 2:49), when he heard his Father’s words of affirmation at his baptism (Matthew 3:16-17), and as he spoke with Moses and Elijah at his transfiguration (Mark 9:3). These events strengthened his trust in God: he knew that his Father had chosen him and would give him everything he needed to respond to his call. St. Matthias, whose feast we celebrate today, also needed to root himself in being “chosen” by the Lord. Scripture tells us little about him except that the apostles sought the Lord to help them discern whether he should take the place of Judas. While Matthias had followed Jesus from the very beginning of his ministry, it wasn’t until years later that he received this deeper calling to become one of the Twelve. Clearly, Matthias’ vocation matured over time—to the point that in the end, he gave his life out of love for the One who had first chosen him. What hope this brings! You may be tempted to think that your life is a matter of chance. Not so: God is too wise and too loving to leave you as a victim of circumstance. Just as he chose Matthias, he has chosen you to follow his Son. He has chosen you to be a disciple in the specific time and place in which you live: as a father or mother, a worker or student—as a disciple who shines the light of Christ into the world. That calling will continue to grow as you follow him, and he will give you all the grace you need to carry it out! “Thank you, Jesus, for choosing me to be your own!”
Easter Weekday or The Ascension of the Lord (Solemnity)
DAILY MASS READINGS AVAILABLE WITH A SUBSCRIPTION
Daily Meditation: John 15:9-17
Acts 1:15-17, 20-26
Psalm 113:1-8