Oblates of St. Francis de Sales

New DeSales World Newsletter - Summer Edition

2ND SUNDAY OF LENT (March 4, 2007)

Suggested Emphasis

“The Lord is my light and my salvation.”

Salesian Perspective

The Book of Genesis and the Gospel of Luke describe two very powerful scenes in which God's will is demonstrated in clear and unmistakable ways. Abram is presented with the mysterious smoking brazier as a sign of God's covenant with him and his descendants, while Peter, John and James witness the transfiguration of Jesus.

Pretty hard to miss the message: these are direct manifestations and expressions of God's will, desire, hope and dream that all live a God-centered life on earth and experience the fullness of that life forever in heaven.

Would that God's will were always so cut and dry! Would that we could always easily discern God's will for us and for others! Would that we could know precisely what God wants from us in every moment with absolute clarity! Would that God would speak to everybody through transfiguring light or smoking braziers!

Of course, for most of us, this doesn't happen. Absent these kinds of communications, how, then, are we to discern God's will for us? Francis de Sales suggests a handful of things that can help us to recognize God’s will in our lives…and how that will should effect our relationships with others.

First, look to the Ten Commandments and other counsels found in Scripture; consider the tradition, the teaching, the practices and authority of the Church; pay attention to the duties and responsibilities that accompany you in your state and stage of life. So, for example, if you are married, working and raising a family, God's will for you would include such things as keeping the Sabbath, honoring your own father and mother, nourishing your relationship with your spouse, providing for the needs of and teaching your children, doing your job in a gentle, just and ethical manner, balancing the demands of work and leisure, of home and the office, etc., etc.

Second, look to the circumstances, situations and relationships in which you find yourself each day, each hour, each moment. Pay attention to how the demands and needs of others might be expressions of God's will for you.

Third, deepen your ability to listen. Pay attention not only to what is going on around you, but also to what is going on inside of you. Learn how to identify and filter out the external and internal static in your life. Prayer and participation in the liturgical/sacramental life of the Church are two powerful allies in this effort.

Fourth, develop and nurture solid spiritual friendships. Just as God's will is never expressed in a vacuum, don't try to figure out everything all by yourself: turn to the advice and counsel of trusted friends when trying to determine what God wants you to do in any given situation.

Finally, be patient. Trust in God's love for you. While God's revelations are occasionally quite unmistakable, most are much more subtle and revealed gradually: indeed, over a lifetime.

Rev. Michael S. Murray, OSFS, is the Executive Director of the De Sales Spirituality Center.