Ask a Priest: Are Some People favoured by God from Birth?

Source: tca.linkedin.com

Question: “I am confused on an issue.  I remember reading that the actor Danny Thomas prayed to St. Jude making a promise that if he found his niche in life he would build a shrine in honor of St. Jude, hence the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.My question is that as a result of his promise, Danny Thomas became famous and wealthy.  Yet countless other  Catholics are just as devout as  Danny Thomas and are struggling in life to keep a job or just find work to  support themselves.  Are some people just born as say part of the elect that they live a privileged life?  Meaning they are favored by God from birth?”

Source: thefamous people.com

 

Answer{ Surely no one was more favoured by God than the Virgin Mary who became the mother of the Lord. Luke tells us in his Gospel, the angel of God greeted her with the words “Hail Mary, highly favoured of God”.  To be favoured by God doesn’t mean to be rich and famous.  Jesus would rather say: “Blessed rather are the little and poor and insignificant!”  So also to find one’s “nich” in life means in the “God sense” to accomplish what God has called us to do and to be.  That may well be insignificant and worthless in the world’s eyes.

Peter Monty, SJ is Chaplain for the Deaf in Ottawa.

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5 Comments
  • Peter Bisson
    Posted at 01:26h, 21 January Reply

    Thank you Peter!

  • Paul Desmarais S.J.
    Posted at 01:28h, 21 January Reply

    Very nice Peter. Thank you.

  • graeme quinlan
    Posted at 04:00h, 21 January Reply

    I loved this look at the story of life, it seemed to ring so true to what life is really about. So true that not all are called to be rich and famous, but the underlying reality is that we are all called. God calls each and every one of us, but not every one hears the call. God has predestined a task for each and every one of us, we may never realize this task unless we take the time to listen to the inner murmurings of the heart where God speaks .

  • Sami Helewa, SJ
    Posted at 17:36h, 21 January Reply

    Thank you Fr. Peter.

  • Paul Valeriote
    Posted at 17:41h, 21 January Reply

    Well said Padre…we often hear of the broken image that we feel when our “worth” is a reflection of how others view us rather than our worth as the Father views us……

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