WEBVTT 00:00:00.640 --> 00:00:06.080 In the first reading today, we see the church has experienced its great first betrayal. 00:00:06.400 --> 00:00:07.839 Judas is gone. 00:00:08.080 --> 00:00:11.519 Imagine the pain, the confusion, and the scandal of that moment. 00:00:11.759 --> 00:00:22.559 One of the twelve, one of the men who walked with Jesus, heard his preaching, witnessed miracles, sat at the Last Supper, completely falls apart. 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:26.800 And yet, what is remarkable in this, the church does not collapse. 00:00:27.120 --> 00:00:30.559 Peter stands up, the line matters. 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:36.719 Because the Acts of the Apostles, Peter is constantly the one who stands up. 00:00:37.439 --> 00:00:42.240 He takes leadership, he strengthens the brethren, he guides the church forward. 00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:44.000 And what does Peter do? 00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:47.679 He moves to fill that empty place left by Judas. 00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:52.479 That's important because it teaches us something profound about the church. 00:00:52.719 --> 00:00:57.039 The mission of Christ is bigger than the failures of individual members. 00:00:57.280 --> 00:01:02.320 The betrayal of Judas was terrible, yes, but the gospel continues. 00:01:02.799 --> 00:01:06.480 The weakness of men do not stop the work of God. 00:01:06.719 --> 00:01:09.280 That's been true for 2,000 years. 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:15.760 There have always been scandals, always betrayals, always sinners inside the church. 00:01:16.079 --> 00:01:22.400 Yet the church continues because the church does not belong to us, it belongs to Jesus Christ. 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:28.239 Sometimes people will say, Well, if the church were really holy, there wouldn't be sinners in it. 00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:32.959 But that's like saying a hospital is fake because six people sick people are inside. 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:39.200 The church has always been a place where weak human beings are being transformed by grace. 00:01:39.920 --> 00:01:41.920 And then we meet Saint Matthias. 00:01:42.239 --> 00:01:45.680 Poor Matthias, almost disappears in history. 00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:47.920 We know almost nothing about him. 00:01:48.159 --> 00:01:52.640 No famous miracles, no letters, no gospel with his name on it. 00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:56.560 And yet today the church celebrates him as an apostle. 00:01:56.879 --> 00:01:57.519 Why? 00:01:57.840 --> 00:02:02.319 Well, because holiness is not about fame, it's about fidelity. 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:12.000 Notice the qualifications Peter gives for the next apostle, someone who stayed with Jesus from the beginning, someone who remains, someone who is faithful. 00:02:12.319 --> 00:02:14.800 Matthias teaches us something beautiful. 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:19.039 You do not have to be famous to be indispensable in the kingdom of God. 00:02:19.520 --> 00:02:23.360 Some of the holiest people in the world will never trend online. 00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:26.960 They will never have a statue in front of a church somewhere. 00:02:27.120 --> 00:02:33.120 They will never write books, never become celebrities, but they were always faithful. 00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:36.960 They prayed, they loved, they sacrificed, they endured. 00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:41.759 They quietly bore fruit that only heaven fully sees. 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:45.520 And then the gospel today takes it even deeper. 00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:51.199 Jesus says, It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you. 00:02:51.759 --> 00:02:53.520 That changes everything. 00:02:53.840 --> 00:02:57.439 Christianity is not ultimately about our search for God. 00:02:57.599 --> 00:03:00.319 It begins with God searching for us. 00:03:00.639 --> 00:03:03.039 Before we even prayed, he called you. 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:05.919 Before you ever loved him, he loved you. 00:03:06.159 --> 00:03:09.840 Before you ever chose him, he chose you. 00:03:10.240 --> 00:03:13.360 And Jesus says, I have called you friends. 00:03:14.159 --> 00:03:16.000 It's a powerful line. 00:03:16.319 --> 00:03:22.719 The creator of the universe calls us friends, not servants, not employees, not strangers, friends. 00:03:23.199 --> 00:03:25.759 But notice what Jesus says immediately before that. 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:29.680 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love. 00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:34.800 Real friendship with Christ is not sentimental, it is transformative. 00:03:35.360 --> 00:03:39.199 We live in a culture that often reduces love to emotion. 00:03:39.680 --> 00:03:42.479 Jesus connects love to obedience. 00:03:42.719 --> 00:03:45.599 If you love me, keep my commandments. 00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:49.840 Because love is proven not by words, but by fidelity. 00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:53.280 A husband proves his love by fidelity. 00:03:53.599 --> 00:03:57.599 A priest proves his love to his people by fidelity. 00:03:57.919 --> 00:04:01.039 A disciple proves love by fidelity. 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:05.360 Because you see, anyone can be enthusiastic for five minutes. 00:04:05.599 --> 00:04:07.840 The saints are the ones who remain. 00:04:08.080 --> 00:04:11.759 And maybe that's the real lesson for us with Saint Matthias. 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:17.600 Judas had the greater name, the greater visibility, the more dramatic story. 00:04:17.839 --> 00:04:20.560 But Matthias remained faithful. 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:28.000 And in the end, history remembers Judas for betrayal, but heaven remembers Matthias for perseverance. 00:04:28.639 --> 00:04:32.000 That's the choice before every Christian life. 00:04:32.800 --> 00:04:45.920 So my brothers and sisters, it's not about whether we'll be famous, whether we did such great, huge things, whether we are admired or we are applause, we seek applause. 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:50.000 It's whether we remain faithful to Christ at all cost. 00:04:50.800 --> 00:04:55.680 Remain with him faithful to the ever to the very end. 00:04:56.319 --> 00:04:56.959 Amen.