Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle

Jn 15:9-17

What would you say if someone asked you: why are you a Christian? Or even more specifically:  why are you a catholic? What would your answer be? I was thinking about this myself, and I would probably say that I was baptized as an infant, that my parents taught me how to pray, that I received religious education and the holy sacraments. Maybe I would say that I am a catholic because this is the faith I grew up with, or maybe because this is the religion I believe in. However, almost all the time when I think about it, I conclude that it is because it’s my choice that I am catholic. But is it? Don’t we think about it this way -- I am a catholic because I chose Christ to be my God. But today Jesus is telling us something different. He said, “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.” It is a privilege and great honor to be chosen, and you and I were chosen by God. We didn’t choose Him, He chose us. If you think about it this way, then you will be much happier as a Christian. You were chosen by God.