The Feast of St. Francis de Sales (January 24) invites Oblates to reflect on our vocation especially since we celebrate World Day of Consecrated Life the following week. Simply put, we all, Oblate and layperson, have a vocation. We all discern how and where the Lord is calling us in life.
For the Christian, it is a two-step process. First, is the Lord calling me to the single life, married life, or to the priesthood or religious life as a priest, brother, or sister in a particular religious order (consecrated life)? The second step is what am I called to do in that state in life? Am I called to be a teacher, laborer, health care provider, minister in the church, teacher, butcher, field worker, service care provider, or a “stay-at-home dad or mom?”
St. Francis de Sales was unequivocal in his belief that we must be faithful to our state in life for it is there that the Lord wants us to achieve our holiness and happiness. This means being attentive to the daily tasks of our vocation. Yes, we could spend an entire day praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament, but if this means neglecting our spouse, children, or others who depend on us, Francis would not deem this as an inspiration from our Lord but rather an abdication of our duties and responsibilities. Sometimes, I look at other places that are hurting and in great need such as poor foreign countries, where I could make an impact, but this is not where the Lord is calling me. At times, the desire to be elsewhere may be more of escape from not wanting to deal with the situation at hand. This is a time for rededication and renewal to the present state in life.
The call to holiness centers on doing the will of God for the world today. It is willing the one thing or the same thing all the time: God’s will. This demands daily discernment on how that is to be achieved. Sometimes the Lord may be asking us to repair a relationship, to be more patient with someone, to spend more time in prayer, to take better care of ourselves, or to find more time for relaxation. There are times when this will come at the request of another. For those in religious life, we believe that the Lord often speaks to us through our religious superiors who may ask us to move to a different ministry or position.
In Salesian Spirituality, we live “between the two wills of God.” There is the signified will of God known by our state in life. This entails being faithful to our vows, our Rule of Life, and the charism and/or spirituality of our founders. Implicit in this is fidelity to our ministry as teachers, chaplains, pastors, etc. The second will, “the will of God’s good pleasure,” is something that “interrupts” the normal planned course of the day calling us to be present to the moment.
Oblates plan their day each morning as it is part of our spirituality. We have a sense of what activities or appointments are scheduled and what virtues we need to be faithful in them. The “will of God’s good pleasure” are those unforeseen and unplanned events to which God is calling us to be attentive. This can run the gamut from a person in need at the door, to a call from the hospital, to an unpleasant phone call, to the realization that pipes have broken, or all the above in one day. These can be viewed as “visits,” in a sense, from God and/or realizations that we are not in control and need to surrender to God’s “good pleasure.” It can also be a positive and pleasant experience, like an unexpected visit from a friend.
A good spiritual guide or director with whom we meet monthly can help us see where we are in our vocation, where the hand of God is present in our life. This takes time and commitment. Yet, it is so crucial. Francis de Sales is often quoted as having said “many say a good spiritual director is one in a thousand, but I say it is more like one in ten thousand.” The spiritual direction dynamic helps one to conduct proper self-maintenance. We can’t always be happy, but we can always try to be healthy. Spiritual direction assists with this.
I am finding that aging has a challenging and exciting impact on our vocation. With the passing of years and experience, we often find ourselves in a much different space. There is no need to build our resumes, to prove ourselves. We are comfortable in our relationship with God and others. Thus, we can concentrate more easily on what God is asking of us, how we can let go more freely and totally and stay open to God’s love intervening in new and exciting ways.
The vocation is a constant and consistent “listening” to God calling to us. May we always follow Eli’s advice to Samuel and when we hear God calling, may we respond “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”
Fr. John J. Fisher, OSFS
Rector
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Camden, NJ
