Bright Monday. Our Venerable Mother Mary of Egypt (527-65).
Bright Week. No fasting or abstention from foods.
Acts 1:12-17. 21-26. John 1:18-28.
Read Acts 1:12-17. 21-26
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
Shortly after Ascension of Christ, the nascent Church had an important task to fulfill: find a replacement for Judas.
The Apostles prayed about who was to take this role. Out of their prayer came two candidates: Justus and Matthias. They then left it to Divine Providence by casting lots to determine who would replace Judas. Divine Providence elected Matthias.
This decision-making process provides us with two lessons.
First: when we need to make an important decision, we MUST take it to prayer and rely on the direction of the Holy Spirit. Yes, we need to do our research, gather as much information as we can, seek counsel from trusted persons. All of this will help making a decision in line with God’s will. But nothing can replace sitting silently in God’s presence listening for the gentle nudge in our hearts leading us in one direction or another.
Second: we might not seek out a particular mission from the Lord, but the Lord may seek us out instead. It’s easy to imagine that Matthias woke up that morning not expecting becoming one of the twelve. But he was called to that mission and accepted it and lived it fully. Likewise, any of us seeking to live in Christ will at one time or another be invited into something greater. When that invitation comes, we likely will need to refer to the first lesson when considering it. But know that the Lord very often uses others to invite us to greater holiness, love, service, and discipleship in ways that we would never have considered or thought possible.
Walk confidently with the risen Lord. Keep your heart open to Him and His voice. And welcome the invitations to greater discipleship.