Cardinal Timothy Dolan served as principal celebrant and homilist for the Archdiocese of New York’s Young Adult Outreach December Mass, telling the faithful that God “sees within us the mark of eternity; so never doubt God’s wisdom in choosing you to be His friend, to be His disciple. He chooses us because He sees good in us.” 

The Mass occurred on the evening of Thursday, December 7 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.  

“It sure is good to be with you in the Advent season, this eve of the beautiful feast of the Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Mother.” He then began speaking about the importance of the word “chosen.”               

“I’m talking about the Biblical concept of ‘chosen,’ being chosen,” he said. “Appropriate, there’s Mary, the Mother of Jesus and our own Blessed Mother, who was chosen – chosen by God. Chosen as a matter of fact, for all eternity, to be the second Eve, to give birth to the second Adam, after the first Adam blew it, in the Garden of Eden.”      

The cardinal noted that when we celebrate the Immaculate Conception, we honor God for choosing Mary. “We shouldn’t be surprised. God our Father is in the habit of choosing people – just think of Abraham, just think of Moses; think of King David; think of the prophets. I can go on and on. God our Father chooses people to do His work.”

“And His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, He learned well from His Eternal Father, because He too chose people. He chose His disciples; remember? And from them, He chose His 12 apostles. The good news, Jesus says, is that all of us are chosen,” Cardinal Dolan added.

Soft, inspirational music during the Mass was provided by vocalist Diana Reyes Nuñez and guitarist Jesús Vargas, both of whom are young adults and also share their musical talents at their parish, St. Dominic in the Bronx.   

“I’ve always had a passion for music,” Reyes told The Good Newsroom after Mass, adding that it was two years ago that she began singing for the Lord, singing for her parish, for her fellow brothers and sisters in the faith. And she said Cardinal Dolan’s homily “was very powerful.” Reyes sang hymns in English and Spanish.  

Jennifer Cid, a young adult Mass attendee, said she was grateful for the cardinal’s message of being chosen, noting that the Lord “sees who we are; we are chosen by Him, as individuals in His eyes. This is an important ministry (Young Adult Outreach), for young Catholics to gather together – to know that there’s a community of people to support you and pray with you, and to give you the strength to evangelize.” Cid’s home parish is Our Lady Queen of Martyrs in Manhattan.

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For more information about Young Adult Outreach: www.catholicnyc.com