Confused? Pay attention!

Good News Reflection
Friday of the 29th Week of Ordinary Time
October 22, 2010

Today's Readings:
Eph 4:1-6
Ps 24:1-6
Luke 12:54-59
http://www.usccb.org/nab/102210.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_10_22.mp3

Confused? Pay attention!

What big question about your life do you have? In today's Gospel, we're reminded that we already have the answer! We know how to interpret the signs of nature; therefore we have the ability to discern what God is doing in our lives and in the world.

Are you surprised that you have this ability? If you're a person of prayer, constantly dialoging with God about everything that happens, the Holy Spirit is explaining to you what you need to know, when you need to know it. Trust this process!

Are you worried about the future? We don't need to go to fortune tellers (which is a sin; see Deut. 18:10-12), and we don't need to seek out holy visionaries, because if we pay attention, God makes his will clear – not every detail of his plan, but certainly his will for today, one step at a time as we move forward in the fulfillment of that plan.

However, we get confused if we listen to the desires of our own will when it contradicts God's, or if we listen to the voices of logic when God doesn't make sense, or if we trust the half-truths and lies that are spoken by Fear.

The portents are plainly evident. We can eliminate a lot of aggravation and misdirected decisions and mistake-laden frustrations, not to mention sins and self-inflicted sufferings, if we pay attention to the multiple ways that God is delivering his guidance to us.

If we take note of the signs of the times, through the Holy Spirit we can discern the good changes that are approaching. When hardships are hardest and the dark night is darkest, a new dawn is going to arise, and probably soon. When evil attacks us with greater vengeance, it's because the devil knows his time is short, praise Jesus! But if we focus on the problems and not on Jesus, we continue to feel frustrated and dissatisfied and frightened. We create our own misery!

The most important observation to make is the condition of our own soul. Jesus says, "Why not judge for yourselves what is right?" The answer is already within us, because the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of Truth – has been living in us since our baptism.

If you don't already have one, find a spiritual director, i.e., a priest or religious or qualified lay person who can help you read the signs of your life. Your local parish or diocesan center probably has a list of available spiritual directors. But first, pray for discernment about which person the wind of the Spirit is blowing you toward!

God doesn't want us to be confused. He certainly won't ignore our need for the truth. He always answers our questions – and we hear him if we but pay attention.

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
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