What a relief to be chosen! Remember? When the captains began to choose up sides for a softball game? That terrible feeling that you might be the last one chosen or not be chosen at all? "The rest of you can just go out in the outfield somewhere"...or "The rest of you can sit on the sidelines and we'll substitute you later on".... But when you were chosen, perhaps even sixth or seventh, then it was over. You were in! What a relief!

"God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world." That's the good news in today's Second Lesson. What a relief to know that! The twelve chosen apostles help us comprehend the greatness of that blessing in today's gospel. You did not, you could not, do that choosing. That is God's doing. But now -- once chosen -- we can choose to be chosen. We can cho…