Doing God’s will

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

WE need to realize more deeply the crucial role of doing the will of God in our life. We have to understand that it is doing God’s will that would make us his image and likeness as we are meant to be. It’s how we live our life with God, as it is meant to be. This truth of faith should be very clear in our minds and should be made an operative principle in our daily lives.

We are reminded of this truth of our faith when Christ talked about the two sons who were asked by their father to work in the vineyard. (cfr. Mt 21,28-32) The first said, yes, but actually did not go, while the second said, no, but eventually went.

Christ concluded, of course, that of the two, it was the second who did the father’s will which is what is truly important. It’s an episode in the gospel that somehow wants to convey the truth that it is in obeying and doing God’s will that we truly become his image and likeness.

No wonder then that Christ said that the greatest commandment is to love God with our whole heart, which, in concrete terms, means that we have to carry out God’s commandments. St. John in his first letter said as much: “This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” (5,3)

We have to find ways of how we can always feel the impulse and the urge to be guided by God’s will and commandments rather than simply guided by our own will. We have to realize more deeply that our will cannot and should not be working simply on its own, and that by working on its own puts it in a dangerous condition. Our will needs to be always referred to and be animated by God’s will.

For this purpose, we may have to develop certain practices of piety that would help us in this direction. Like, spending time in prayer, in meditation, in regularly reading the contemplating the gospel, in rectifying our intentions, referring them always to God. We have to develop virtues like humility, detachment, holy purity, patience and optimism, fortitude, etc.

Very important in this regard would be to familiarize ourselves with the teaching, deeds and the very life of Christ himself, fully convinced that he is the very pattern of our humanity. We have to make Christ alive in us to such an extent that we can truly say that we are “alter Christus,” another Christ, as we are meant to be.

In this regard, we have to be convinced that our life should also be a liturgical life, since it is in the liturgy where the whole mystery of Christ and his redemptive work is made present and effective in our life. It is in the liturgy, especially in the Holy Mass, where we can most fittingly do our part in corresponding to that whole mystery of Christ and his mission. It’s where we can be one with him, sharing in his redemptive mission.

We need to feel the need for doing a widespread catechesis on this truth of our faith. With gift of tongue and making use of today’s powerful technologies, let us reach out to others, leading them to realize the crucial role that doing and living God’s will has in our life.

Just like what St. Paul once said, we have to “preach the Word, be prepared in season and out of season…” (2 Tim 4)

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com