A couple of years ago I visited a Theological Institute in India. While I was there, a young priest came to me and with a beautiful smile he said,” Father Sebastian, do you remember me? I am Paul. Years ago I came to you for an interview. For whatever reasons, you did not select me to join the priesthood. Even though I was disappointed, I did not give up my desire. I went to a different seminary and I was lucky; they selected me and here I am!” It was a moment of embarrassment and joy. I was embarrassed because of my shallow discernment about his future. I was delighted because even though I failed in my judgment, God did not deny his desire to be a priest. This was, however a learning moment in my life. I will never forget the lesson: God sees the heart, while we look at the outer appearance.
We, often, evaluate people on the basis of external appearances. The initial impression may not necessarily reveal the depth and wealth of a personality. The first reading for the fourth Sunday of Lent (RCIA) underscores this point (1Samuel 16: 1ff). Samuel came to the house of Jesse to anoint one of his sons to be the successor of Saul. Samuel was impressed by Eliab and went ahead to select him. God said no. When Jesse was asked to present all his other children, he hid David thinking that he was good for nothing. Jesse was also mistaken. God had a different plan. David was his choice. The story of David and Goliath is another example of human miscalculation. When David offered to fight against Goliath, Saul rejected his proposal as a joke. Saul was proven wrong. David killed the mighty Goliath.
The Lord said to Samuel, “Do not judge from appearance. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the Heart”. It is not the appearance or the possessions one has but the inner beauty that determines ones real worth. Look at the group of disciples Jesus selected. Out of the twelve, only one had a last name. One was a tax collector, a few of them were poor and illiterate fishermen, another was a member of a militant group, some were power mongers and one was a doubter. None of them was merited to be his disciple from a worldly stand point. Paul was no exception, as he was the persecutor of the church. The Old Testament does not have a different story. The genealogy of Jesus does not present a proud family story either.
Every person is a potential saint because every one is the image of God. Every person is a potential evangelizer because every one shares the breath of God. Give each one the proper environment and they will surprise the world with miracles. The story St. John Viany is the living witness of this truth. Many times we make wrong calculations and judgments on people. Our wrong impressions can ruin a person’s chance to grow and minister to the community.
When God calls someone, He does not look at his/her abilities to perform, but his/her willingness to cooperate. God does not lack anything. He does not depend on our power. It is not our power, but God’s power on display in ministry. God supplies what we lack. God said to Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you” (Jer 1:5). Jesus said to Ananias about Paul: “This man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before gentiles, kings and Israelites…” (Acts 9:15). God’s approach to an interview is different. He is not looking for our smartness but willingness and faithfulness.
Two things are important. First of all, do not prevent anyone from ministry under worldly considerations. Every person is a worthy instrument in the hands of God because ‘it is not we but Christ who lives in us’. Secondly, do not shy away from ministry thinking that you have nothing to offer, because ‘if God is with us nobody can stand against us”.
It is difficult to come to this awareness because we live under the influence of secular thinking and acting. We need the light of Christ to see things differently. Like the blind man of the Gospel story (Jn 9:1ff), let us approach Jesus and pray for the grace to see the way God sees, hear the way God hears and evaluate the way God evaluates.
No comments:
Post a Comment