What is your purpose in life? Why did God create you?
Today's gospel from John (Chapter 15) gives us the answer:
"I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain."
This whole section of Chapter 15 stresses that God chose us first, that he loves us, that we need to remain in him and love others. It's a pretty powerful passage to spend some time with.
Step out of the very physical world we live in, and look at things from a spiritual, supernatural perspective. Most of us live what you might call "little" lives. We're not famous by worldly standards; we don't move mountains by our words or actions.
So then, why did God choose us?
Remember the Parable of the Lost Sheep?
"What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing
one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after
the lost one until he finds it?" (Luke 15:4)
I would expect that even in the ordinary, little lives we lead, we have the ability to impact at least one other person in some way (the 1/100). Jesus shows us in the parable the importance of that one person. We don't have to move stadiums of people or live big lives.
"Love," Jesus tells us. Go out of your way to do something for others. Pray for their return to the Church. "Remain in my love." Live your life according to his commandments.
Glorify the Father by bearing much fruit and becoming his disciple.
In reality, our lives are not little, nor ordinary, because the Father chose us, and loves us beyond what we can even imagine. Sit with that thought for awhile--God loves YOU.
Share that with others and you will help bring to fruition God's greatest desire, because, as Jesus said:
"there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance." (Luke 15:7)
Do what you can, wherever you are, and trust that God himself is giving your life purpose.
Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.com
https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/
https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy
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