I Chose You

Last Sunday I had the distinct pleasure of addressing the parents of the ‘children liturgy classes’ of our parish. I started off by asking ‘please remember a time in your life when you were courted by someone - then share with us the predominant feelings you experienced’. The answers varied from flattered and being special to being annoyed, suspicious and upset.

In this week’s Gospel, John 15: 9-17, Jesus tells us ‘You did not choose me but I chose you.’ Jesus is courting you - ‘how do you feel?’ Jesus is seeking a loving relationship - ‘how do we as individuals respond?’ Am I annoyed, suspicious, or experiencing deep feelings of being loved and belonging?

I wonder why God the Almighty, creator of the Universe, would want a relationship with me, a creature so insignificant in the grand scheme of things. My thoughts drifted on modern man, with so much scientific knowledge of the Universe and his understandable scepticism of a loving God seeking a love relationship.

But this is exactly what Jesus came to teach us. The super awesomeness (my granddaughter’s phrase) of this can be beyond reason. It takes faith. It is no wonder that spiritual directors tell us that, confronted with this realization, persons experience a deep sense of shame. Peter responded ‘get away from me Lord for I am a sinful man’. Adam and Eve hid in the bushes.

In this week’s Gospel, Jesus gives us a profound teaching on love. God is love. Through Jesus we experience the same love, God the Father has for his only Son, Jesus Christ. The enormity of this revelation is staggering. To fathom that we, flawed and finite beings, are the object of such divine affection is both humbling and overwhelming. It challenges our preconceived notions of worthiness and deservingness. How can we, with all our faults and failings, be worthy of such boundless love?

Yet, herein lies the heart of the Gospel message: that love knows no bounds, no conditions. It is freely given, without expectation of reciprocity. As Jesus walked among us, he exemplified this love in its purest form, reaching out to the marginalized, the broken, and the lost with compassion and grace.

May we embrace this profound truth with humility and gratitude, allowing it to transform our hearts and lives. And may we allow ourselves to be seduced and surrender to the overwhelming embrace of God's love.

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