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Election.
Check it out–no money, no training, and no degree from Harvard Medical School, and the 12 Apostles are to go out and cure the sick. How is that possible? They were elected–chosen by the Lord.
Let’s say you were elected to be the mayor of the city. Immediately, you will have an office, a staff, the police department, a big, fat bank account, and a special pen with the power to sign your name. You will now be able to make a difference and do things you were never able to do before. That is what happens when you are elected.
I believe I was called by God to be a priest. I know that because the first day of the seminary, I had to take a course called Medieval English Literature. We had to read Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene. I was like trying to understand a modern rap song. I said to myself, “Why does it have to be so hard?” Then they sent me to Italy to study philosophy taught by professors who spoke a language I did not know. I said to myself, “How come nothing is easy?” During my first assignment as a priest. One of the kids in the religious education class wanted to find out what happens when you push all of the buttons in the elevator. Well, the elevator gets stuck. So, one of the teachers called 911, and the first responders came. Instead of pushing the reset button, they decided to use their newly purchased Jaws of Life and completely destroyed the beautiful elevator door. I said, “Why can’t I have a normal day?” Then they sent me to St Clement to be the director. The first weekend’s collection was $ 86. You cannot run a church on 86 dollars, so I said, “Why can’t I have a normal life. Why is everything so difficult? And the answer to these questions, and to the millions of other similar questions I had during the seminary and my priesthood, is the same. I was elected.
If you ever wonder why life may be hard or that nothing is easy, you now know the answer. God chose you.
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