God Chooses Strangely

Father, whenever we think of ourselves
as the followers of Christ,
we smile a Sarah-like smile of incredulity
Poor Jesus! To have us for his disciples!

What can we do for him?
How can we further his cause?
We are such ordinary people
with very little energy or learning
and with few precious talents to boast of.

Our one grain of comfort is that from the beginning,
When Christ called his apostles
after a night of prayer,
he did not pick people who were wise
by any worldly standards;
he did not pick people who were powerful.

We are encouraged by the fact that you chose
the foolish to make fools of the wise,
the weak to make fools of the strong.

God we thank you for choosing the little people
and the lowly people,
for choosing what is really nothing at all
so as to bring to nothing the wise, the great,
the strong.

Why, Lord, have you acted in so strange a way?
It is so that no human being
could possibly boast before you.

You, Father, are the source of all treasures
we find hidden in Christ Jesus.
You make him who was crucified in weakness
into our wisdom, holiness and strength,
and our release from sin.
Now Lord, if we boast, we will only boast in you.

-Peter De Rosa, Lasallian Prayers