It occurs to me that God wants me and loves me and keeps me – not because of anything that I do – but because of His perfect love.
Saint Joseph of Cupertino lived for the early part of the 17th century in Italy.
Saint Joseph of Cupertino was considered an extraordinary saint because he lacked natural talent and ability and yet had extremely advanced supernatural efficiency. It was said that the Saint could not pass a test or an exam, he could not take care of a house, and it was said that he could not even touch a dish without breaking it.
In his monastery, Saint Joseph of Cupertino was called “Brother Ass” by his brother monks and priests. And yet, at the end of his life, hundreds attended his funeral, and he was considered a model of holiness.
And I have been thinking about that Saint and that description of him as an “Ass” today because there are so many times in my life that I consider myself an “Ass” too. You see, while I am blessed and lucky to be able to do so many things easily, there are just so many more that I cannot easily complete. And when things go wrong, it is so easy to blame myself and upset myself over my own weaknesses.
And it occurs to me today that this is very very wrong.
You see, God has always called the weak. Moses – who was called to CONVINCE Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of bondage in Egypt – spoke with a stutter. Saint Bernadette and Saint John Vianney, like Saint Joseph of Cupertino, experienced learning difficulties that hindered their ability to communicate.
And this reminds me of the way that Christ chose His disciples – the way that He chose me…
“And He went up on the mountain, and called to Him those whom He desired; and they came to Him. And He appointed twelve, to be with Him, and to be sent out to preach and have authority to cast out demons: Simon whom He surnamed Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, whom He surnamed Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.” (Mark 3:13-19).
You see… “He called to Him those He desired”. It is as simple as that.
He does not want me because I am the biggest or the brightest or the best. He wants me because HE DESIRES.
And I have been thinking about that today. Because it occurs to me that God wants me and loves me and keeps me – not because of anything that I do – but because of His perfect love. And that means something tremendous… You see, that means that I am a child of God – not by right – but by desire. And knowing that today, I can hold my head a little higher, because for all my faults and weaknesses and limitations, I am certainly not undesirable to my God. And when I think about that today, I can hold my head just a little bit higher – even if I really am a little bit of an “Ass”…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.