Friday, August 30, 2013

Discernment: What is God's will for Me?

In 1 Thes 4: 1, St. Paul says to us:  "This is the will of God, your holiness." So, if you and I are growing in holiness, we are then in sync with God's will.  But what is holiness?  Where do we look for it? Where do we find it?  Holiness is not like an object on the store shelf that we can simply buy and put on like a new suit, a costly perfume, a sparkling diamond.  No, it is within us, in our God-self, in our innermost self, that calls us us to be transparent and honest with others, that gently invites us to make choices that protect our integrity, that is, our identity as God's beloved daughters/sons, as persons who are loving, caring, forgiving, as persons filled with gratitude and awe, wisdom and prudence, joy and peace--gifts that flow freely from God's Spirit, gifts that dwell within us since our baptism.  We know that we are in sync with God's will when we refrain from immoral acts, do not give expression to evil, malicious, deceitful and impure thoughts but let them pass as clouds pass by.  We know that we are in sync with God's will when we are striving to please God above all, seeking His forgiveness from those we offend and saying "I'm sorry" when we have acted contrary to the way of love that Jesus teaches us in the Scriptures.

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