Alleluia.
I chose you from the world that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit shall abide, says the Lord.
Alleluia.
“I chose you from the world that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit shall abide.” This remind us that the Christian life does not begin with our greatness, our plans, or our worthiness. It begins with His choice.
That is a beautiful truth. Before we ever reached toward God, He had already looked upon us with love. Before we began to understand Him, He had already called us. Faith is never only our search for God; it is first God’s gracious search for us.
And He does not choose without purpose. He says, “that you should go and bear fruit.” In other words, the life of grace is never meant to remain closed in on itself. To be chosen by Christ is also to be sent by Him. The soul touched by His love is meant to become fruitful in charity, in truth, in holiness, in patience, in mercy, in witness, in quiet faithfulness.
This fruit may not always look impressive in the eyes of the world. Sometimes it is hidden. Sometimes it is the fruit of perseverance in suffering, the fruit of forgiveness, the fruit of prayer, the fruit of remaining honest and faithful in a world that makes such things difficult. But heaven sees it. And the Lord values what is lasting, not merely what is visible.
That is why the final words are so powerful: “that your fruit shall abide.” So much in this world fades quickly, praise, success, appearances, passing comforts. But the fruit that comes from a life rooted in Christ does not pass away. Love given in His name remains. Faithfulness remains. Souls touched by grace remain. Holiness remains.
This Gospel Acclamation is a reminder that our lives are meant for more than just passing through the world. We have been chosen for a purpose. Called to live in such a way that something eternal begins to grow through us.
And that should fill the heart with both gratitude and seriousness:
you were chosen by Christ,
you were not chosen in vain,
and the fruit of a life lived in Him can outlast this world.