Today's first reading from the Book of Judges gives us an insight into God's call and our response. God calls whom He wills, in many unexpected ways, and at times when we least expect it. In the case of Gideon, God called him when he was experiencing life as difficult and even thinking God had deserted his people. His immediate response was why me? I come from the lowliest and most insignificant of families. How can I carry out this task? But God told him to go with the strength he had. Gideon made his offering to God and in doing so realized the presence of God with him. In this strength he was able to set out to save the Israelites from the Midianites.

We can often find ourselves ill-prepared and feeling unworthy of the task God calls us to because we depend on our own strength. But we are reminded in today's reading that God is with us and God is our strength.

What is the call we hear in our lives today? We may not be called to perform as great a task as Gideon but in God's vineyard each one has a place and each one's call is significant. Together we build up the Kingdom of God.

Let us ask for the courage today to respond to God's call in our own lives and like St Paul may we learn to say: