Discernment: When the Suggestion seems Ludicrous

Discernment:  In today’s Gospel, John 21-1-19, Peter and six of his companion apostles go fishing.  They work all night long and catch nothing. Jesus meets them in the morning on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias and asks them if they have caught anything to eat. “No,” they respond.  Jesus suggests that they cast the net over the right side of the boat and “you will find something.” Without hesitation, they do so and haul in 153 fish.  It is only then that they recognize the man on the seashore!

At times the Lord invites us to do that which sounds ludicrous, like date so and so, consider religious life or priesthood, or even respect the vocation of the single lifestyle; or choosing a career that we truly want to pursue but others are against it because “it won’t yield a lot of money—you won’t get wealthy doing that kind of work.” Once we say “yes” and experience the power of God at work in our lives, we recognize that it was Jesus calling us.

Most times, the Spirit’s invitation is not as weighty as vocational or career choices. It could be engaging in a task that is difficult to do at work or within one’s family. It could be changing one’s attitudes or behaviors that frustrate growth in love and forgiveness and mercy toward self or a family member.   It could be getting help to overcome an addiction or to face some limitation that, with help, can be overcome.

Discernment: following suggestions that seem ludicrous to those who do not understand or when viewed without faith and prayerful consideration!  Being true to one’s inner self is difficult at times but possible through the power of the Spirit: our innermost self is hidden. Without developing a life of prayer and reflection, solitude and quiet, we are likely not to recognize “Jesus on the shore of “Tiberias,” and trust God’s suggestions!

Discernment: What Jesus Teaches us

Discernment: What Jesus Teaches us

In today's Gospel, John 8: 51-59, when the people  heard Jesus say “before Abraham came to be, I AM “, they  picked up stones to throw at Him. How can Jesus claim to be I AM, to have existed before Abraham came into being, as He was not even 50 years of age. They were also sure that Jesus was possessed when he said: “[W]hoever keeps my word will never see death.”  How can Jesus say that people who keep His word will never see death, when Abraham is deceased, as were Isaac, Jacob and David and so many other ancestors of their faith? 

The fact that Jesus was misunderstood, that people rallied against Him and wanted His voice silenced did not stop Him from clinging to every word that came from His Father and doing whatever the Father asked of Him.   Many times women in their 40s and 50s say that they first felt called in their teens and, at the time, parents opposed their entering religious life, that their friends didn’t believe that they were called to give up marriage and having children.  For some, grandparents vehemently opposed their entrance.

What is holding you back? Are you hearing a quiet, persistent voice calling you to consider religious life?

Discernment: Faced with Something Beyond Oneself

Today’s first reading, 1 Samuel 17: 32-33, 37, 40-51,  presents us with the battle between David and Goliath, the Philistine.  Saul challenges David, saying, in effect: “Who do you think you are going against this Philistine. You are a mere youth while this guy has been a warrior since his youth. You cannot do what you plan to do. It will not work!”  David does not flinch.  “The Lord, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will also keep me safe” from the claws of this Philistine.  Saul’s response: “Go! The Lord is with you.”

How often do we not face the same opposition David faced when we share a decision we have made about our vocation in life or some other weighty decision. The negatives might sound just like the ones above: “You, a priest/a religious? No way. You don’t have what it takes to be a priest or a religious!” Is that not the same kind of rhetoric Saul used with David: You cannot go up against this Philistine and fight with him, for you are only a youth…” “You don’t have what it takes!”

Beware of the opposition but know that if, in prayerful discernment, you know that are being called to religious life or priesthood or to marry this person or that, or to remain single, that God is with you!  God not only is persistent in His call, He goes with you and equips you for the task!