Day 32. Sweat the Small Stuff
For the love of God, then, be careful and do not imprudently strain yourself in this work. Rely more on joyful enthusiasm than on sheer brute force.
The Cloud of Unknowing
Note: The next two days are longer than usual. We’re tying it all together and applying our conclusions to our own lives. Please allow enough time to understand and reflect.
Please don’t conclude from all that I’ve said about striving for heaven that you have to force it. Salvation is not a matter of pure will-power, gritting your teeth or “grinding out” holiness. It’s about cooperation with God and yielding to the promptings of grace. He will lead you into all truth and all righteousness. The great effort it demands is well within your ability if you ask for God’s help. The key is to follow God’s leading daily. Which brings us to the topic of today’s reflection.
If we’re going to make it to heaven, the journey begins in the present and in God’s will. The Cornerstone that grounds our Hope of Happiness has a short term dimension that leads to the long term goal of heaven. As with Jesus who took great joy in obeying the Father, we are to follow God’s will in all things. “Aha!” you might be saying, “At last, something that sounds like discernment! God’s will is what I’ve been looking for! What is this mysterious will and how can I know it for sure?”
I hope this doesn’t come as a disappointment, but in many respects, God’s will isn’t mysterious at all. The Father has already taken the initiative to reveal his will through the commandments, the Bible, and through the teaching authority of the Church – called the magisterium. It should be clear from the ample guidance these provide that God does not want us to be in the dark. If you find the Bible confusing, or Church teaching seemingly out of step with modern times, you’re not off the hook. The struggle to grasp God’s revealed truth and to live it takes much work on our part and more than a few slices of humble-pie. Mark Twain is often claimed to have observed, “It ain’t those parts of the Bible I can’t understand that bother me, it is the parts I do understand.”
This is called God’s revealed will. In this he expects our obedience whether we’re happy about it or not. Still, trying to find the wisdom and the joy in obeying God is what makes the path easier. So if you find some of his commandments rub you the wrong way, follow them anyway. In time it will become clear why they are as they are. You could call this approach “fake it till you make it.” It’s not about being phony. It’s about being humble. Humbling our own idea of “the way things should be” to God’s idea. Think about it. Doesn’t he have a little more experience in this area than you or I?
Beyond God’s revealed will is God’s particular will for your life. To discover this is our aim. It’s not like a gameshow which concludes with a loud “BING” and “Heeeeere’s your vocation!” If only it were that simple! No, God’s will is revealed in the daily walk you take under his direction and by his strength. Again, it’s all about relationship. God will show you the way to go if you will listen, and it begins in the little things. We want to get in the habit of simple, daily obedience. This builds trust between you and God. You get to know his ways of leading. You hear the “voice of the shepherd.”
It’s important to be well aware of God’s revealed will as you open your mind and your life to God’s particular will. The first (revealed) guides and conditions the second (particular). God will never contradict himself. So if God’s revealed will says, “you shall not have sexual relations with someone who is not your spouse,” God’s particular will for your life can’t say, “It’s okay for you to sleep with your boyfriend or girlfriend.” Do you think this is obvious? I could introduce you to many young people who get it wrong. So your measuring stick for identifying God’s particular will is first and foremost God’s revealed will. An ancient measuring stick was called a canon. That’s why we call the books of the Bible the “Canon of Scripture,” or why the Church’s proper law is called canon law. It’s the measuring stick for finding God’s will in particular situations. As you learn to listen to God’s leading, don’t forget your measuring stick: the Bible and the magisterium.
In learning discerning, you’ll need a lot of help. The Holy Spirit is the one who takes the lead here. If you never really understood the role of the Holy Spirit, you will now. It’s his job to lead you into God’s perfect will, to bring about your sanctification – the full measure of holiness for your life. The Holy Spirit was given to you as a gift at baptism and he lives inside of you. From now on, begin turning to him for daily guidance. Learn to hear his voice in your heart and to discern his promptings even in the smallest things. Though he is certainly no “micro-manager,” he can be remarkably particular in his guidance at times.
One of my favorite examples from the Bible of God’s specific leading is the story of St. Paul’s conversion. The Holy Spirit actually gives the address of where Saul/Paul is staying in Damascus to a Christian named Ananias, and also tells Paul to expect a visit from him. “There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ He answered, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ The Lord said to him, ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is there praying, and (in a vision) he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay (his) hands on him, that he may regain his sight’” (Acts 9:10-12). History confirms that “Straight Street” was the main east-west thoroughfare in ancient Damascus and can still be visited today [1].
You may be tempted to dismiss this as something that only happened in Bible times, but why can’t the Spirit be just as clear and direct with us today as he was in the days of the early Church? Steve Clark, a longtime leader in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, describes his own change of heart: “For a while I resisted the idea that the Lord spoke to us directly. I had been convinced through experience that the Lord leads us. I knew that at times he spoke to special individuals. But I did not think he spoke to most people, and I definitely did not think he spoke to me. Then someone pointed out to me through prophecy to listen to the Lord’s voice. I had to admit that I had not been paying much attention to those prophecies, so I decided that I should at least give it a try. I did and began to ‘listen.’ As I listened, I was able to pick out something that seemed to be the voice of the Lord. As I paid more attention to it, I grew in confidence that it was the voice of the Lord, and that conviction has been confirmed a number of times since then” [2].
At first, in learning to listen to the Holy Spirit, you may not hear very much, but over time you’ll begin to notice an inner nudge, a holy “instinct” for doing the right thing in specific situations. You can judge the rightness of this instinct by the fruit. Does it prompt you to do things that make you more loving, more giving, and more available to God? Does it produce in your spirit sorrow for sin and a joy that attracts you to Jesus? Does it make you more – not less – obedient to God’s revealed will and to the pastors of his Church? Then you’re learning to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading.
You may, by contrast, also encounter promptings of a very different kind. While they also urge you to do seemingly good things, they come as a dark cloud with a heavy, oppressive sense of obligation or a non-specific burden of guilt and condemnation. Such an inner voice tells you that you’re not good enough but gives you no clear idea how to be better. It tells you that you’re not “measuring up” without lifting your soul towards any attainable goal. This is the voice of the evil one. You’ll need to become very savvy in telling the difference, because the enemy can masquerade as the Holy Spirit at times. But don’t withdraw in fear. The Spirit’s guidance is dependable and absolutely necessary as we make progress in this Novena and as you choose the path your life will take.
You’ll also need to be critical so that you don’t substitute your own desires for the voice of the Holy Spirit. Steve Clark gives the following example:
A couple of years ago something happened which was comical (because it turned out to be harmless) and yet taught me very clearly how people can mistake their own desires for leadings of the Spirit. Within the space of one week I either talked to personally or heard about three different women who were convinced that the Lord wanted them to marry the same man. Some had “heard the Lord” speak to them. Some had felt leadings of the Spirit. All had had it confirmed by passages (of the Bible) or other signs. Now, unless you want to say that the Lord is reconsidering polygamy, it is clear that at least two of the three women were being led by something other than the Lord, and I was pretty sure that all of them were being led by something other than the Lord. But whatever the final count, for me it was an excellent lesson that people can be led by their own desires, when they think that they are being led by the Spirit [3].
Let’s say you get a harmless direction like, “go talk to that person and share your witness.” Give it a shot. Afterwards, examine the fruit. “How did God bless my obedience? What did I learn from that experience?” If it’s a more dramatic leading like, “go sell all your belongings” or “go pray over that person in a wheelchair that she may walk,” you can afford to be more cautious. Until you are very good at hearing and discerning the authentic voice of the Holy Spirit, don’t hesitate to consult with your Discernment Advisor or some other reliable spiritual guide. When I need advice, I always look for that rare combination of qualities: a person with deep faith and both feet on the ground.
And don’t be afraid to make mistakes or look foolish. Remember how many saints have misunderstood God’s initial leadings. St. Francis heard God say, “rebuild my Church,” and began fixing up the chapel he was praying in. God had much bigger plans than a local renovation project! This is the thought I’d like to leave you with. God’s plans are much bigger than what we have in mind. We tend to think in simple categories like “marriage?” “priesthood?” “nun?” etc. God’s plan is far more specific, personal, dynamic, creative and wonderful. So loosen up, will you? Let the Holy Spirit take the lead. It’s a marvelous ride.
Novena Prayer
Jesus says: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Pier Giorgio responds: With violence you sow hatred, and you harvest its bad fruits. With charity, you sow peace among men – not the peace that the world gives, but the true peace that only faith in Jesus Christ can give us in common brotherhood.
Let us pray: Blessed Pier Giorgio, guide me in claiming my rightful inheritance as a child of God and heir of His Kingdom. Show me, by your own example, how to be slow to anger, and gentle in my dealings with others. Help me to show forth the peace of Christ by speaking words of peace, and by living a life of peace.
Blessed Pier Giorgio, I ask for your intercession in obtaining from God, Who is meek and humble of heart, all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare. I confidently turn to you for help in my present need: (in your own words, ask for the Lord to lead you into greater freedom and self knowledge)
A Book of Prayers in Honor of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, by Rev. Timothy E. Deeter
Make it My Own
Daily Discernment Workbook
REFLECT ON THE FATHERS
1. Don’t Force It.
Consider this quote from a spiritual classic:
For the love of God, then, be careful and do not imprudently strain yourself in this work. Rely more on joyful enthusiasm than on sheer brute force. For the more joyfully you work the more humble and spiritual your contemplation becomes, whereas when you morbidly drive yourself, the fruits will be gross and unnatural. So be careful. Surely anyone who presumes to approach this lofty mountain of contemplative prayer through sheer brute force will be driven off with stones. Stones, as you know, are hard, dry things that hurt terribly when they strike. Certainly morbid constraint will also hurt your health, for it is lacking the dew of grace and therefore completely dry. Besides it will do great harm to your foolish mind, leading it to flounder in diabolical illusions. So I say again, avoid all unnatural compulsion and learn to love joyfully with a sweet and gentle disposition of body and soul. Wait with gracious and modest courtesy for the Lord's initiative and do not impatiently snatch at grace like a greedy greyhound suffering from starvation.
The Cloud of Unknowing [0]
How might I know, based on this quote, if I’m trying too hard to grow spiritually and follow God?
BREAK OPEN YOUR BIBLE
2. Getting to Know the Holy Spirit
The Bible uses many images and descriptions for the Holy Spirit. Look up the following passages and write in the blank what image or words describe the Holy Spirit.
A. Mark 1:9, 10
B. Luke 11:20
C. Acts 2:2-4
D. John 14:26
E. Romans 8:16
F. Romans 8:26-27
G. 1 Corinthians 12: 7-11
H. Galatians 5:22-23
I. 2 Timothy 1:7
What description of the Holy Spirit is most meaningful to me? Why?
SAINTS SAID IT
3. God’s Voice or Mine? What’s the Difference?
How do I know if I’m just making up words in my head and pretending that it’s God talking? St. Teresa of Avila offers a simple way.
St. Teresa of Avila on Hearing God’s Voice
….anyone who has understood words coming from God will see clearly the nature of… words coming from the intellect because the difference between the two is great. And if [these words] are something the intellect fabricates, no matter how subtly it works, a person will know that it is the intellect that is composing something and speaking. The difference is that in the one case the words are composed and in the other they are listened to. The intellect will see that it is not then listening because it is working. And the words it fabricates are as though muffled, fancied, and without the clarity of those that come from God. It is in our power to divert our attention from these words of the intellect, as we do when while speaking we decide to keep quiet; in the case of those words that are from God there is no way of diverting one’s attention [4].
Based on this quote, what’s the primary way I can recognize if a message in my head is from God or from myself?
4. Is God Speaking?
The following examples are real. You be the judge. How would you know if this inner ‘voice’ or sense is from God or not?
A. Trash Whisperer. A man walks along the beach and notices a plastic bottle that someone has discarded there. He hears an inner voice that says, ‘pick up that bottle and take it to the trash.’ So he picks it up. As he continues walking he sees more trash. Again the inner voice says ‘pick it up.’ Soon he has too much to carry and yet the voice says, ‘there, pick up that empty can over there.’ He had been enjoying the walk and praying to God. Now he’s anxious looking for a trash bin. Was this voice from God?
[ ] Definitely is God. [ ] Probably is God. [ ] Probably is not God. [ ] Definitely is not God. [ ] I have no idea!
Explain:
B. The Fast and the Furious. A woman finds out that her friend, another Christian, fasts once a week from all food for a full day. She decides she should fast too. So she fasts for a full day and finds it easier than she expected. The next day she’s going to eat breakfast and an inner voice says, ‘keep fasting’ so she skips breakfast even though she’s very hungry now. As lunch approaches she finds herself anxious and upset. ‘How can God want me to be so uncomfortable?’ Nevertheless the voice says, ‘keep fasting,’ so she does, even though in her heart there is a growing cloud of confusion and guilt. By the end of the day, she’s so angry she yells at her son for no reason. Is this voice from God?
[ ] Definitely is God. [ ] Probably is God. [ ] Probably is not God. [ ] Definitely is not God. [ ] I have no idea!
Explain:
C. Teenage Lobotomy. A college student sees an ad calling for extras in the filming of a music video with the Ramones called “Time Has Come Today.” He signs up enthusiastically, but when he goes to the preparatory meeting they explain the video will be filmed in a church. As he listens a voice inside says, ‘I don’t want you to do this.’ In his heart he reacts angrily and tries to reject what the voice says. He loves the idea of what his friends will say when they see him on TV. The voice persists but the young man fights back. Is this voice from God? What should the young man do?
[ ] Definitely is God. [ ] Probably is God. [ ] Probably is not God. [ ] Definitely is not God. [ ] I have no idea!
Explain:
Conclude with
“Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be.
World without end, Amen.”
[0] lead quote and workbook - The Cloud of Unknowing and The Book of Privy Counseling, ed by William Johnston in 1973, New York, Image/Doubleday, 2005 edition, p. 95 (author unknown)
[1] "Straight Street," Wikipedia, Accessed 2/13/2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_Street
[2] Steve Clark, Knowing God’s Will, Servant Publications, p. 35
[3] Ibid. p. 36
[4] Teresa of Avila, Life, from The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Vol. I, The Book of Her Life, tr. By Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D. and Otilio Rodriguez, O.C.D., Washington, D.C., ICS Publications, 2nd edition, 1987, p. 214
Answer helps:
1. Trash Whisperer: Probably not God. Gathering the trash grew into an impossible task. God doesn’t call us to do what is clearly impossible. We say “probably” because God may sometimes do something like this where he subsequently instructs us in a way that brings clarity (for example demonstrating to us the limits of human effort), but in the example given no such explanation is offered to the man. Most likely it is a distraction, since it takes his attention away from the prayers he was previously offering to God.
2. Fast and the Furious: Definitely not God. The woman made a mistake in deciding to fast without telling someone she trusts who can help her discern if it’s a good idea. She leaves herself open to temptations from the evil one who likes to push us over the top in order to discourage us from trying again. The fruits of the fasting make it obvious. She is not drawing closer to God in peace and clarity but sinking into frustration and guilt. That’s not God.
3. Teenage Lobotomy: Definitely God. This one happened exactly as described. In the end I decided to obey the leading I knew in my heart was from God, and immediately I was overcome by a sense of joy. I never returned for the shooting of the video. Years later I told a student about the experience and she sent me the link for the video. Obedience to God’s voice not only proved to be a huge step forward in my relationship with him, but it saved me from appearing in this cringe-worthy video. Glad I didn’t do it!