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Dear brothers and sisters,

“You did not choose me; I chose you.” These words of the Lord in this Sunday’s Gospel are for each and every one of us. The Lord chooses me; He chooses you. This choice of the Lord begins at the very first moment of our existence. At the moment of conception, we are loved by God, we are His creation.

At baptism, we are called to live our lives in the love that exists eternally in the Blessed Trinity. While our parents may bring us to be baptised, it is the Holy Spirit who prompts. The Sacrament of Baptism is God’s action. It is the grace of God that takes away the effect of Original Sin, fills us with His love, brings us into the Church, the Body of Christ. For the adult coming to faith, the Holy Spirit is active, calling the person to faith, to this same action of God Himself in the sacrament.

Perhaps we often feel unworthy of God’s love. “Why would God choose me?” we might ask. Very often, we find ourselves called to have confidence in God’s love for us: to trust in Him. It is worth giving a moment to reflect that, in His love for us, in His call to us in baptism – and in the many other ways that He calls us – God is placing His confidence in us: in me, in you. How often in the Gospels do we find Jesus saying: “Do not be afraid”?

There is no need for fear. The way ahead may be a daunting one, the path rough at times, the road steep and narrow, but there is no need to fear, for, chosen by God, we walk in His love. God, in the person of His Only Son, gives new life and we are guided by the Holy Spirit, strengthened through the sacraments. Each and every one of us has "some definite purpose," as St John Henry Newman reminds us. We are chosen and loved by God.

With every blessing,

+ Richard

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