God's grace has not been ineffective (Fr. Jude Siciliano, OP)

  Isaiah, Paul and Peter… claim their unworthiness when they realize they have been called to serve God.  However, there is an implied (or spoken) – But.  It happens after the person hears he is being called and expresses his unworthiness.  Paul puts it succinctly, But by the grace of God I am what I am and God’s grace to me has not been ineffective.

  What excuse has any of us then for not stepping forward to respond to the call we are hearing?  We know that call won’t come with a flash of lightening and a parting of the clouds.  It usually is in the form of someone asking, Would you like to take Communion to the sick?  Would you like to help us gather food for the homeless?  We need a teacher for sixth-grade religion class – can you help us?  [We might respond,] Oh, I couldn’t do that, I’ve never done that before!  When we are tempted to say that, we can play back what Paul reminds us, But by the grace of God I am what I am, and God’s grace to me has not been ineffective.

From now on you will be catching humans…

--Fr. Jude Siciliano, OP

Image source:  Nicolas Bernard Lépicié, Conversion of St. Paul (1767), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ConversionStPaul.JPG

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