Chosen

Today is the feast of St. Mathias, the one chosen by the Apostles to replace Judas Iscariot, who had betrayed Jesus. Read the account of how Mathias was chosen:

So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas,who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.Then they prayed,"You, Lord, who know the hearts of all,show which one of these two you have chosento take the place in this apostolic ministryfrom which Judas turned away to go to his own place."Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias,and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles. (Acts 1:23-26)

How much things have changed! I spent five years in the seminary before I was ordained, Mathias just had to win the lottery!

While the process has changed quite a bit, the reality hasn't: Jesus has chosen us to a specific service. Each of us, whether we are called to be a priest, religious, married person, single person are needed and wanted by the Lord. He has chosen us to help build up the kingdom of God in a way that only we can.

Scouting is a way that we come to realize that we have been called and have special gifts and talents that can be put to use, not only to make the world a better place, but to make God's love known to others. That is why the Church has a long history of utilizing scouting in her overall ministry to youth and why so many dedicated people work to make religious emblems, activities and prayer opportunities available to our young scouts. It is why we also need to provide opportunities for our adult scouters to grow in faith as well.

Peace,
Fr. David