Word to the Wise
Saturday, October 20, 2012 - Saturday in the 28th Week in Ordinary Time
[Eph 1:15-23 and Luke 12:8-12]"I do not cease giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call...."
St.Paul's Letter to the Ephesians contains a couple of my favorite scriptural prayers. The first is quoted above. The second is in chapter 3, vv. 21-24. I use these often on retreats because they speak to the desire for wisdom and revelation so that one may make decisions in the light of faith. I spent many years in campus ministry and my parishioners were mostly young people trying to make decisions about what they would do once the college experience came to an end! It was common for some of them to ask, "How do I know what is God's will in my life?" My response was that I believe the best prayer is not so much to know God's will but to pray for the wisdom to make a good decision. A decision to marry or to enter religious life is a very serious decision but I don't think we should ask God to make that decision for us. What we can count on is the spirit of "wisdom and revelation" to help us discern the path ahead.
I realize that my approach to this is not the only one. There are currents in spiritual direction that emphasize discernment of "God's will" and shaping one's life according to that discernment. However, I believe that grace builds on nature and should not substitute for it. I think God hands us the gifts we need and it is up to us to make the most of them. AMEN