Jesus, in today’s gospel, points out, “You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit.” We are, each and all, chosen to incarnate God’s love wherever we may be in all the situations of our lives.

Scripture is rife with stories of God’s choosing folks for some special purpose, perhaps immediately, perhaps long range, perhaps once and done, perhaps continuing through some time. Early on in our salvation history, as God chooses Abram (later renamed Abraham) to be our spiritual father, the Holy One says, “ . . . in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen.13:3b) When God chose the murderer, fugitive Moses as the divine instrument of justice for the Israelites the Lord said, “ So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” (Ex.3:10) That task turned into a 40-year-long journey to the Promised Land. God chose Deborah, a prophetess and judge (Judges 4 and 5), to help save the Israelites from a particular enemy, and Saul (I Sam.10:1) and David (I Sam.16:1-13) to get the monarchy underway. And so it went through all the prophets’ experiences, chosen for service. There’s a legend that says God looked far and wide for the one to be the Theotokos (God-bearer), but none were willing until we hear Mary say, “Let it be with me according to your word.”(Lk.1:26-31) That brings us to Jesus, first choosing the 12 and, after the Resurrection, all of us who are ready and willing to join with Mary’s YES.

The Beloved continues to choose friends to walk in his ways, “to abide in his love.” We are chosen to “Bloom where we are planted,” as the saying goes, trusting in the Holy One to bring us to the particular kind of fruitfulness that is needed right here and now in “this fragile earth, our island home.” Having chosen us, the Beloved doesn’t leave us to our own devices but brings us day by day to the abundant fruitfulness prepared for us.