My Sisters and Brothers:
From a faith perspective, how do we understand and know what our “calling” is in this life? Isn’t it true that each one of us has some type of special “calling” or “vocation”? Most of us clearly believe that we are called by God to live out our lives in a certain manner or by following a particular path. We all want to do this to the best of our potential and according to whatever gifts and talents we have received and have cultivated.
Some of us had a clear understanding of what we hoped to do and be in this life from an early age; others among us (probably most of us) labored a bit more with the discernment process; we might have even passed a few “bumps in the road” on the journey! In any case, at least from a Christian perspective, our calling or vocation can be understood as our personal role and responsibility towards both God and our fellow human beings in whatever capacity we have in helping to build the Kingdom of God on earth.
Like Samuel in the first reading today, we may not at first recognize the voice of God when he calls us to a task; our discernment process might have to be guided by those around us who are a bit more wiser and more experienced than we are (see 1 Sam 3:3b-10, 19). Sometimes the wise people who guide us may do so in a dramatic way, like in the case of John the Baptist who clearly directed his disciples to follow the Lord Jesus. He said: “Behold, the Lamb of God” and then “the two disciples . . . followed Jesus” (see John 1:35-42). It was as simple as that: John proclaimed and the disciples followed.
Most of the time, however, I think the average man or woman isn’t so fortunate to have a John the Baptist kind of person guiding them in their lives. Most of us simply try our best to pray and discern, we make mistakes and then try again, and we change directions and occasionally doubt our choices, etc., etc. This is normal! And so today, as we contemplate the response to vocation presented to us in the Scripture readings, let us reflect upon our own experience in doing that.
May we persevere like Samuel and keep trying our best to answer the call, even when we are not sure of the outcome; may we also hope to be like the disciples in the Gospel who confidently come to the conclusion and belief that they have “found the Messiah.” In any event, let us have complete confidence that God will show us the way, and that each one of us may come to know what we are called to do (both in the small and in the great things in our lives). May we discern well, my friends!
Praise God! Friar Timothy
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From a faith perspective, how do we understand and know what our “calling” is in this life? Isn’t it true that each one of us has some type of special “calling” or “vocation”? Most of us clearly believe that we are called by God to live out our lives in a certain manner or by following a particular path. We all want to do this to the best of our potential and according to whatever gifts and talents we have received and have cultivated.
Some of us had a clear understanding of what we hoped to do and be in this life from an early age; others among us (probably most of us) labored a bit more with the discernment process; we might have even passed a few “bumps in the road” on the journey! In any case, at least from a Christian perspective, our calling or vocation can be understood as our personal role and responsibility towards both God and our fellow human beings in whatever capacity we have in helping to build the Kingdom of God on earth.
Like Samuel in the first reading today, we may not at first recognize the voice of God when he calls us to a task; our discernment process might have to be guided by those around us who are a bit more wiser and more experienced than we are (see 1 Sam 3:3b-10, 19). Sometimes the wise people who guide us may do so in a dramatic way, like in the case of John the Baptist who clearly directed his disciples to follow the Lord Jesus. He said: “Behold, the Lamb of God” and then “the two disciples . . . followed Jesus” (see John 1:35-42). It was as simple as that: John proclaimed and the disciples followed.
Most of the time, however, I think the average man or woman isn’t so fortunate to have a John the Baptist kind of person guiding them in their lives. Most of us simply try our best to pray and discern, we make mistakes and then try again, and we change directions and occasionally doubt our choices, etc., etc. This is normal! And so today, as we contemplate the response to vocation presented to us in the Scripture readings, let us reflect upon our own experience in doing that.
May we persevere like Samuel and keep trying our best to answer the call, even when we are not sure of the outcome; may we also hope to be like the disciples in the Gospel who confidently come to the conclusion and belief that they have “found the Messiah.” In any event, let us have complete confidence that God will show us the way, and that each one of us may come to know what we are called to do (both in the small and in the great things in our lives). May we discern well, my friends!
Praise God! Friar Timothy
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