The plaintive cry of a devout soul praying and seeking guidance as to her purpose in life. That was me quite some years ago. I loved Jesus then, I love Jesus now. The difference has been that I have moved from, “God, tell me, what is my purpose?” and waiting to be told, to “Thank you Jesus for making me. I offer you my day and ask you to help me please you with it.”
What changed? Mostly perspective. It finally sunk in that God had been speaking all along but because I was looking for a supernatural locution or other miraculous event, I wasn’t actually listening to the answer already given.
God DOES tell us what he wants of us. He gives a universal calling that will translate uniquely to each person.
- As the old Baltimore Catechism so succinctly put it, our purpose is to “Know, Love, and Serve God in this life in order to be happy for eternity with him in the next.” Pretty good deal really.
- God spoke very clearly through one of the few quotes of the Virgin Mary. At the Wedding at Cana, where we are to understand ourselves to be the servants, Mary tells them, “Do whatever He tells you to do.” and the servants did as they were told, filled the huge urns with water, and taking the dipper full to the person in charge of wine. I’d say God spoke very clearly here, “Do whatever he (Jesus) tells you to do.”
- Bible– there is a LOT of advice, guidance and commands. Start with the New Testament as Jesus reinterpreted the Old Testament and you can find that in the New Testament and in the interpretive function of the Catholic Church.
- God gave us the Church to interpret the Bible and there is a nice fat modern Catechism of the Catholic Church. Read it. Ponder what it says and what it means to implement all that in your life, where you are right now, in your home, in your job, in your leisure time.
- God gave us OURSELVES. Think about it, the Bible says he equips us for our work. What are your aptitudes, your favorite activities, your current job, your education– anything that is part of who you are today, right now, is a pile of clues as to what God wants you to do.
- Our place in life– all those roles you play. The chores and work you do. These can all be offered to God if we seek to do them well and offer them to God. So this too is part of what He wants us to do.
It is both simple and complicated.
Dear Lord, help each of us to notice the ordinary means by which you teach us how to live our lives and run with it. +Amen.