The Word God Spells

John 15:9-17
Acts 1:15-17.20-26 / Ps 113

It was I Who chose you and sent you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. And everything you ask the Father in My Name He will give you.
(John 15 : 16 - 17)

Whatever the task doesn’t matter
In God’s love remain and believe;
Whatever we ask of the Father
In Jesus Christ’s name we’ll receive.

Jesus said, ‘As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

Reflection

“It was I Who chose you.” On this day of our national elections, I realize as chairman of NAMFREL in Davao city that every word applies to this ‘sudden appointment’. Everyone of us is hand-picked by the Lord to perform specific tasks that contribute to the benefit and well-being of the community. It was only four days before the elections that I received this appointment, but the way volunteers just came, (as if out of nowhere), contributing their precious time and individual skills with robust enthusiasm, this could only have been by divine influence of the Holy Spirit. How else to explain the schedules being worked out effortlessly, meetings with the right people, and being able to solicit help from friends and associates at such short notice?

It seemed that the Lord Himself chose each one of us for a specific assignment to make sure that we would all be working together as a team, and make the “operation quick-count of Namfrel in Davao City a successful endeavor.

“Go and bear fruit, fruit that will last.” The impact of the efficiency, integrity, and sacrifice that all the volunteers of Namfrel have shown will certainly bear fruit for years to come.

“Everything you ask the Father in My Name He will give you.” Yes, indeed! The Lord did not hold back on anything we prayed for: discernment in selecting our staff and coordinators; coordination among all working committees (I cannot recall any friction); making do with our shoe-string budget; good weather; health and endurance for all the volunteers; appropriate venues for our headquarters and computer center, and getting the full support of all groups concerned, like the media, a motorcycle club that will retrieve the election returns, social action members, (who comprise the bulk of our volunteers, the PICPA, and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to help verify the validity of the election returns. Who could ask for more?

It seemed at first an impossible task to achieve, but as our Lord reminded me in Matthew 19:26, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Thank You, Lord, for this opportunity of being able to serve my community, and for increasing my faith even more as You showed me Your miracle of love. Amen.