He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world

He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world.

Think back to a time when you were chosen for some special privilege or honor.   Maybe your employer chose you for a position over other qualified applicants.   Or perhaps your teammates chose you as captain because of your ability to lead others.   It’s a good feeling to be singled out in such a way.   Or think about how you felt when your future husband or wife chose to marry you and spend the rest of their life with you.

We believe that God chose Mary, before the creation of the world, to be the Mother of God.   And because he had chosen her for that unique role, he prepared her in a special way.   He preserved her from original sin and gave her to two devout, faithful parents.

The God who chose Mary has also chosen you—and from the beginning of creation as well.   He knew you.   He intended for you to be born.   He wanted you so much, in fact, that he sent his Son to redeem you.

Being chosen by God “before the foundation of the world” means that you are loved, not for what you do, but for who you are (Ephesians 1:4).   It doesn’t matter if you don’t have the best job résumé or if you are the captain of the team.   All those special honors—important though they may be—pale in comparison to the fact that God chose you and loves you just as you are.   You are not just one small cog in the mass of humanity.   You have great value and worth in God’s eyes.

Being chosen by God also means that he has a plan and purpose for your life.   You matter, and so does your mission in this life.   Each of us, says Pope Francis, “is a mission, planned by the Father to reflect and embody . . . the Gospel” (On the Call to Holiness in Today’s World, 19).

As you celebrate Mary’s special role in God’s plan, ask God to show you how special you are to him.   Ask him to show you the unimaginable love he has had for you from “the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).

Word Among Us