Fr. Jacques Phillipe
It is not unusual for those of us who are zealous for God, to want to do great and grand things for Him. We love God so, and want everyone else to love Him with their whole being.
St. Therese, a cloistered Carmelite nun, felt the same way. Her deep love for God enkindled the desire for her to be a soldier, priest, apostle, doctor of the Church and a martyr. She wanted to be like so many of the saints who had performed heroic works for God. Her desires brought suffering in her soul which felt like a type of martyrdom. She knew that being a Carmelite nun was her true vocation, yet this brought her no peace. She persisted in her questions to God by reading the Epistles of St. Paul to the Corinthians. She found her answer and her peace when she realized that love was the more perfect gift and without it, the martyrs, soldiers, priests, apostles, and doctors of the Church could not do what they were called to do. St. Therese realized that her vocation was Love. She was to be Love in the heart of the Church, thus her dream to do all was realized. By remaining true to her vocation and doing all for love of God, Therese fulfilled the deep desires of her heart to be all for God.
We too can do the same: by remaining true to our vocation and doing all for love of God, we can bring souls to Him. For most of us, that will be the way; in the ordinary tasks of our lives. But what do we do when we feel a restless stirring in our heart to do something out of the ordinary for God -- something out of our comfort zone? Is this God or not? How do we determine God’s will when we are uncertain?
Fr. Jacques makes it clear: we cannot make the determination of God’s will by the way the situation makes us feel. We can feel afraid and inadequate, but Father assures us that if it is God’s will then God will supply the ability to do it. The old saying holds true: “God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.”
The other indication that we are to move in this direction is that “God brings both the light to understand what He intends, and the strength to accomplish it; light that illuminates the mind, and strength that gives power to the will.” If God wants us to do something, He will lead us. We must learn to be patient and trust that He will make it clear to us. There are times when pride and our own desire to “be someone,” can cloud our good judgment. It is always wise to speak with a confessor or a good spiritual friend to see the situation from their perspective.
In the meantime, continue to serve God as your vocation dictates. This is our sure path to holiness. Our zeal to do great things for God is often accomplished in the ordinary situations that we experience daily. To love God and each person we encounter, is living zealously for God. Like St. Therese, we too can accomplish all by being love in the heart of the Church.
“Yes, my Beloved, I wish to spend my life thus . . . Love proves itself by deeds and how shall I prove mine? I have no other means of proving my love except by strewing flowers, that is to say, letting no little sacrifice pass, no look, no word – profiting by the littlest actions, and doing them all for love. I want to suffer and even rejoice for love, for this is my way of scattering flowers.” St. Therese
You write this like it is perfectly clear, so why do I find it so muddied some times? I love the quote you included, " God does not call the equipped, He equips the called." Please God, give me discernment to know Your will in my life. Amen!
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