No One is Rejected

Readings for Wednesday May 11, 2011

First Reading: Acts 8:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 66
Gospel: John 6:35-40


Jesus said to the crowds, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. But I told you that although you have seen me, you do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” (Jn 6:35-40)

Rejection, we have all felt it at one time or another. I remember last year when I was on the job hunt, I was applying for so many different types of jobs. Most of the time I never heard back from the companies but occasionally a good company would be considerate and keep me updated on the job ... with a rejection letter. The letters typically always said thank you for applying, I had great qualifications, but unfortunately they had selected someone else. While I appreciated the correspondence, it certainly never made the rejection any easier. I was very thankful that God was really teaching me to trust in Him during that time. I was also very thankful because even though I had lots of companies rejecting me, I knew that it was not the end of the world, because I would always be accepted by Christ; and that is all that truly matters in life.

The reality is that we will all be rejected by people and places in our lives. While this is certainly never easy to take, we must remember that it is all a part of God's plan, and there is a reason for the rejection. The great thing about our faith is that we can always take comfort in the fact that no matter who or what in this world rejects us, Christ never will. Jesus tells us today; "and I will not reject anyone who comes to me." Our Lord accepts everyone as they are, and He never rejects anyone who comes to Him ready to follow. No matter how many times the world rejects us, and no matter how many times we feel like nobody wants us, we must remember that we always have a friend in, and a place with our Lord.

Today let us reflect on the words of our Lord: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." (Mt 11:28-30)

Father above, we thank you and praise you for the gift of this day. Lord, thank you for your great love and forgiveness. Thank you for all that you have blessed us with in this life. Help us to follow you no matter what life brings, for your ways are perfect. Lord, our hearts truly are restless until they find rest in you; may we always understand how much you love and accept us as we are. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.