Discerning Choices
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009For Sunday, January 18, 2009
1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19
1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20
John 1:35-42
Whenever we are faced with important decisions, it can be tempting to shake our fists at the heavens and shout: “Just tell me what you want!” Discerning God’s will is not always easy. When all our options are good - but especially when none seem good - it takes some time to sort out just what the right course of action may be.
And so it should give us some comfort in this Sunday’s first reading (1 Sm. 3: 3-10,19) to realize that even when God speaks directly to Samuel, he still needs the help of his mentor, Eli, to understand that it is God speaking to him and how he should respond. God’s call and plan are always experienced and discerned in community. Even when that call is directed to an individual - such as in religious life - it must be tested through a formation process to make sure it is genuine. We all need a hand to fit into God’s plan.
The temptation is always before us to go it alone in discerning God’s will for our lives without the benefit of the insight and wisdom of others. Or else, we fail to challenge others to consider what God may be calling them to by extending an invitation to follow Jesus as John the Baptist did to his disciples and as Andrew did to his brother Simon Peter in this Sunday’s gospel (Jn.1: 35-42). My calling is at the service of your calling as we journey together to a shared destination.
This Sunday begins the week of prayer for Christian unity. That it is a week of prayer and not a week of “efforts” witnesses to the fact that Christian unity is first and foremost God’s work. Nonetheless, what responsibility do we as individuals take in promoting and fostering unity among Christian churches and communities? If I discover God’s will in community, then what stake must I have in seeing all the followers of Christ united in faith and witness?
As a country, we are closing in on the historic inauguration day of our first black president. The incoming Obama administration has set an ambitious agenda for itself, and is faced with numerous foreign and domestic challenges. First on the list will be “bailing out” the economy with a large stimulus package, the size and scope of which are still being fleshed out http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/785be1d0-dede-11dd-9464-000077b07658.html. Then, as is the case with every president in at least the past 40 years, the conflict in the Middle East will require some continued leadership from Washington. To date, the fighting in the Gaza strip continues despite pleas from the international community for a ceasefire http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7825480.stm. And in our war on terror, how will the prison at Guantanamo Bay be closed, and what will we do with the inmates http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/01/13/america/13gitmo.php?
Is the question, “What would Jesus do?” irrelevant here? Do the challenges our country faces require creative problem solving, or do they require listening and discernment? We have a role to play as faithful Christians to invite both those in authority and our fellow citizens to consider the values which the gospel proposes. What our shared search for God’s will has taught us is that the truth does not lie in one group imposing its will on another, but in each of us realizing that our individual good is inextricably linked to our common good and that we arrive at that common good together or not at all.
Doug Sousa
Prayer
Loving God,
as you are a community
of Father, Son and Spirit,
so you call each of us
to discover you in a community of faith.
May we strive with our whole being
to be witnesses to love and truth.
May we be active, trusting listeners,
and may all we do proceed from
the desire to do your will.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Notices
WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY, January 18-25
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity embraces two Sundays in 2009, offering the opportunity for an expanded ecumenical effort. Always celebrated from January 18-25, the week begins on the third Sunday of January. For detailed information on what is permissible in your diocese, contact your local diocesan Office for Ecumenism. For publicity materials and prayers visit: http://www.geii.org/; and on the Vatican web site at: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/weeks-prayer-doc/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_20080630_week-prayer-2009_en.html.
COLLECTION FOR THE CHURCH IN LATIN AMERICA
Many parishes will take up the USCCB collection for the church in Latin America the weekend of January 24-25. Parishes that publish their bulletins with Liturgical Publications Inc can download clip art and bulletin announcements in English and Spanish from the LPi Art & Media Portal. Other information is available from the USCCB at: http://www.usccb.org/latinamerica/index.shtml.
OPERATION RICE BOWL FROM CRS
Operation Rice Bowl is the premier Catholic Lenten program sponsored by Catholic Relief Services. More than 12,000 communities (parishes, schools, campus ministry programs, etc.) will be participating 2009. If your parish is not yet part of this program, you can still sign up. Visit http://orb.crs.org/ to find out how to participate.
PLAN NOW FOR LENT
Liturgical Publications Inc is pleased to offer a resource on reconciliation and the sacrament of penance for adult faith formation. Info about Reconciliation: The Unfolding Mystery of God’s Mercy and Love is available at www.CatholicFaithSharing.com. Learn about the program, view sample pages, and order online, or call 1-800-950-9952, ext. 2469.