Meditation

Notes on a meditation delivered 10/7/07

Hab. 2:1-4
Psalm 37
2 Tim 1:1-14

Father B. has asked me to give my thoughts on today's readings. As all the members of Our Saviour know, when J. B. asks you to do something, you do it.(cheesy toast masters opening)

Most of you know that I am an aspirant to the priesthood. And that I am in the discernment process for that decision. This is both true and false. True, I am discerning a call to the priesthood and the church is helping me with that decision. But false in the sense that God is only calling me to the priesthood. God is calling me. Period. God is calling you as well. As for discernment, the discernment process is a formal process the diocese has developed as a getting to know you time. Also getting to know yourself, which has been invaluable to my personal development.

But discernment isn't for priestly wanna-bes. One glance at today's readings gives us a nice outline as to the nature of how we should all discern God's call. Habukkuk, urges intention and patience: "I will keep watch to see what He will say to me."-Please know that God is calling you, even if you don't want to hear it.
"If it seems to tarry wait for it, it will surely come, it will not delay"-God's call means God's time. This also implicitly means that we don't know the hour of God's call, for further readings on God's surprises see the entire Bible.

Today's Psalm, 37, gives some of the most useful and practical advice found anywhere, "Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently before him." God doesn't say be ansy before the Lord.Check your watch, and clear your throat before the Lord your God! Doesn't sound the same, does it? Once you begin discerning God's call, be still. If that's not enough, the Pslamist goes on to say "Do not fret-it leads only to evil." Does this require any explaination? "Do not fret-it only leads to evil."

So we have our intention of listening to God, waiting for Him, and how to wait, relaxed. Finally in today's Epistle Paul reminds us that "God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline." This what the Holy spirit gave us at Pentacost and we should put that spirit of power, love, and self-discipline to good use while we listen to what the Holy Spirit is giving us. Thank you.