God’s will and ways should always prevail

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

THAT gospel episode where Joseph thought of separating from Mary because the latter was found already with child in her womb before they lived together (cfr. Mt 1,18-25) teaches us that despite the big sacrifice involved, we should just follow God’s will and ways even if our legitimate human ways have to be sacrificed.

Joseph’s example is truly worth imitating. And it can only take place if, like Joseph, we would just follow what God would clearly tell us as to what to do. In our life, we can have our own legitimate choices. But when there are clear signs that God wants us to choose another thing, we should just try our best to follow what he wants. We can be sure that that option would be the best for us even if it would require grave sacrifices from us.

Indeed, God’s particular will for us can come in some dramatic ways, requiring drastic changes in our life. Yes, God can enter into our lives and make his will more felt by us in some special way. We should not be too surprised by this possibility.

Consider St. Paul, St. Augustine, the apostles themselves, and the patriarchs and prophets like Abraham, Moses, Jonas, Jeremiah, etc. Consider St. Edith Stein, and our very own St. Lorenzo Ruiz and Cebuano saint, Pedro Calungsod.

Their stories are full of drama and suspense. St. Paul received his vocation while on a mad campaign to arrest the early Christians. St. Augustine, though gifted intellectually, had a colorful past. The apostles were mainly simple people, mostly fishermen.

St. Edith Stein was an intelligent Jewish agnostic before her conversion. And our own Filipino saints were catechists doing some domestic work for some priests. All had their defects, and sins, and yet they became and are great saints.

We have to feel at home with the idea that God can call us in a way different from what we have been planning, no matter how legitimate our plans are. Let’s not play blind and deaf. God’s call is actually quite loud enough. And when we are given a special vocation, let’s not be afraid, but rather go for it at full throttle.

Ok, we may hesitate at first, but if we are honest, we will soon see there’s nothing to be afraid about. God takes care of everything. All he needs is that we trust him, that we have faith in him, and that we try our best to cooperate.

We just have to learn to live by God’s will that is shown to us, thanks to God, by Christ, the fullness of divine revelation, who left us with his word and the sacraments in the Church.

We have to learn how to know God’s will for us at every moment. For this to happen, we need to be recollected, always putting ourselves in God’s presence, trying to discern through our daily duties and the things that we see around what God is asking of us or telling us. We have to strive to be real contemplatives in the middle of the world, able to see God in everything.

We may have to use some human devices to remind us continually of God’s presence and will. But we should also undertake a continuing plan of prayer, sacrifices, study of the doctrine of our faith, development of virtues, recourse to the sacraments. All these help in making us attentive and docile to God’s will.

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com