Which Will to Follow?

DeSales WeeklySpiritual ReflectionsGod's WillFree WillHuman Nature

Mar 26

What does God ask of me today? What is God’s Will for me today and for my life?

These are important questions to answer. You might be familiar with the phrase: “Ask for nothing; refuse nothing.” I don’t know about you, but I ask for many things:

“Please let me do well on this assignment.”
“Please let the weather be nice for our outing.”
“Please bring healing to someone close to me.”
“Please continue to improve Pope Francis’ health.”

You’ve got the idea. I also refuse some things: I get physically ill when eating liver, so I refuse it; I need to protect my fingers, so I refuse an offer to play a sport or game that could harm them; I refuse sweets on my better days, because I live with diabetes.

During a conference on hope, St. Francis de Sales said: “Desire nothing but what God desires for you, embrace lovingly; the events and the different effects of God’s divine will.” (Conference VI on Hope, p. 102). That sounds so nice, but it isn’t easy. And it often takes the kind of honest dialogue that Mary has with God through the Angel Gabriel. We heard the Gospel of the Annunciation on Tuesday of this week. Mary asked: “How can this be since I do not know a man?” “How will this happen?” Gabriel answers: “The Holy Spirit will overshadow you.” Mary is finally able to answer: “Fiat! Let it be done to me as you say.”

We often learn about God’s Will through another person, a messenger of God. When it became clear to me that God was inviting me to transfer from the Dominicans to the Oblates, God and I had quite a conversation. I asked: “Are you sure this is what You want? After all, I love my Dominican identity.” God answered through others who knew me well: “You will bring your Dominican identity with you.” I continued: “But this will be quite a change for me.” God answered: “Yes, but change can be a great gift, especially if it is a good change.” I was finally able to say: “Yes, Lord, help me to live Your Will.” I consulted with people who knew me well, both those who might have wanted me to remain a Dominican and those who wanted me to transfer. Living God’s Will each moment of our lives is a key element of our Salesian Spirituality.

I prepared a couple for Marriage. They had a solid relationship, but they still had many questions. As we met, they answered the question: “What is God asking of me at this moment in my life?” The more we explored each of their answers to that question, it became clear that they loved each other deeply, but they were not ready to make an important commitment like the Sacrament of Marriage asks. They took time to pray with this question more deeply. They took time to explore their love and their options. After about a year they were able to say “Yes” in answer to that question. They could own that marrying one another was God’s Will for each of them and for their life as a couple. They desired to do God’s Will. They desired each other. It was clear that marrying one another was doing God’s Will. All of their desires meshed. It was a wonderful day when I could witness their marriage.

What is God’s Will, God’s desire for you? What is your desire? Take your answer to these questions to prayer. Refuse whatever is not in keeping with your sense of God’s Will for you. Turn to the Scriptures for guidance. Turn to someone whose living of God’s Will you trust. Be honest in your dialogue. And then, hopefully, you will be able to pray with Mary: “Let it be done as you say.”

May God be praised.