Joseph is faced with a big decision after Mary is found to be with child …
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said …
Today’s Gospel touches on one of the most perplexing problems faced by those of us who search for spiritual meaning and guidance in our lives.
When do we hear God’s call? How does he call us? And most importantly, how do we know this call is truly from God, and not from the great deceiver who falls just short of the perfection of God?
How did Joseph know? What if he had doubted that dream visit?
Whenever faced with a major life decision, many of us will draw up a list of “positives and negatives” and weigh the “pros and cons” … and that seems like a good thing to do.
And when there are more negatives than positives, do we still feel the call? Many do … and many resolve to accept the calling despite the challenges it might bring. I’m thinking of a young man who gives up a family fortune in order to take a vow of poverty and become a priest or monk.
On the other hand – and perhaps more tricky – are those calls that come with an unusually high number of positives. A job offer that seems too good to be true; A chance to do something good while also earning fame or fortune; A personal relationship that suddenly could last a lifetime.
How does one discern the source of these callings? How do we now it is God calling us and not the devil playing on our weakness and pride?
That’s a tough one. It’s not always easy. But there are some common tests that I’ve been taught over time.
If the call seems to be the culmination of a lifetime urge to do good work and help spread God’s love, then it might be a good thing to pursue. If it bears good fruit, or the promise of doing so, that would also seem to be a good sign.
If the calling is more about you helping others than it is about you helping yourself, well, that could be another sign of a good calling to pursue. And, for many faithful Catholics, if the calling comes from Mother Church, one should always be open.
It’s important to remember that human discernment alone – the weighing of the pros and cons – is never enough. We must always turn to prayer. Spend an hour in Adoration, seek out advice from those you know to be faithful. Meditate on Scripture.
All are good advice to follow.
If there is still doubt … in the final analysis … how do we know we are using our free will in order to please God?
For that … I often turn to Thomas Merton, who had the same struggles as a Trappist monk in Kentucky – torn between a desire for solitude and isolation and an enormous amount of God-given talent to write about his faith and his relationship to God and others.
In addition to his many books, Merton’s work left us with a wonderful prayer that should be on anyone’s list of go-to prayers in times of discernment.
The Merton Prayer
“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself.
And the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”
As we prepare to celebrate this Christmas season, let us appreciate the gifts that God has given us, primarily that of His Son … but also the gifts of free will and discernment, which enable and empower us to love Him with all of our heart and soul and in everything we do.
