The gifts and the call of God are irrevocable (Rom 11: 29). What an amazing statement!

Paul tells the Romans that since they have experienced God’s mercy in them, they are called to be witnesses of God’s mercy to others, so that in turn, they also receive God’s mercy. That was Paul’s profound personal experience. He had persecuted God’s people, he had sinned deeply but he received God’s mercy as an amazing gift, and at the same time God’s call, his mission, which in Paul’s experience came together.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola had a similar experience. He received God’s merciful and healing love. Ignatius experienced this as pure gift, totally undeserving, since he considered himself a sinner. Nevertheless, he embraced God’s love with incredible gratitude, and out of this gratuitous experience of unconditional love, Ignatius discerns his call.

Both Paul and Ignatius discern God’s call and what it means concretely for each of them out of the experience of embracing God’s gift. I invite us today to spend some time in prayer gratefully accepting God’s unconditional gift of love and mercy and God’s call for us. I suspect that in fully embracing God’s gift we will find our happiness.