Discernment: A Mutual Understanding and Affirmation

In today’s first reading, James 4: 13-17, St. James addresses those of us who say, “‘Today or tomorrow we shall go into such and such a town, spend a year there doing business, and make a profit’—you have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow. You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears. Instead you should say, ‘If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that.’”  Wow!  St. James might as well have asked us “Who do you think you are? You have no idea whether you will be here tomorrow. And where is God in this plan of yours?”

As we reflect upon James’  message, we may be reminded that God is in charge, not us.  I just returned from doing some work with young women believing that they are called to consecrate their lives to the Lord.  It was as though one of them was shouting: “THIS IS GOD’S WILL FOR ME. I SHALL ENTER YOUR COMMUNITY.”  There was no acknowledgement that she would pursue a  vocation to religious life, “IF THE LORD WILLS IT.”

As in marriage, a man and woman must both agree that they are meant to commit their lives to one another forever. If one of the parties says “I don’t believe that we are meant to be together forever, there is no marriage between the two of them. God revealed His will—the two were not meant to marry one another--in the fact that the attraction to marry one another was not mutual. The search for God's will needs, then, to continue. The same is true in regard to a religious vocation: both the community and the individual need to believe that “Yes, this is right!” In that mutual agreement, God reveals His will. This does not mean that the person is not called to consecrate her life to the Lord, but that she has not yet found the community that is right for her. It could also mean, as she continues  to seek religious life, that no community agrees with her that religious life is her calling. God, in that case, is redirecting her to consider other options. The door will open when she has found that calling to which God is inviting her.  And someone will confirm that calling. And she learns to say: “If the Lord wills it, [I] shall live to do this or that” (James 4: 15).