The Sunday Sermon Archive

Dear Friend,

Today's gospel shows Christ choosing His twelve apostles. It is interesting to note that before choosing and calling the twelve He "went out into a mountain to pray, and He passed the whole night in the prayer of God."

Christ shows us Himself in prayer before He begins any important work: before He begins His public works; before choosing His apostles; before His crucifixion; etc. We must not understand that these are the only times Christ prayed. It would be more appropriate to say that He was always praying. He was constantly in union and "communication" with the Father and the Holy Ghost, because They are One.

Our Lord deliberately shows Himself in the Gospel praying at various times to instruct us in the necessity of prayer. We too must pray and pray always, but especially before we begin any important event in our lives.

It is of utmost importance that we not make a mistake at these junctures of our lives because such a mistake could make our lives here on earth miserable and perhaps cause us eternal pain and suffering in Hell.

In order to make the right decision we need advice and enlightenment.

All too many people begin a vocation on a whim. We ask our children what they would like to be or what they would like to do when they grow up. They are told to think about what they would like to do, or what they think they would like to do. Yet, they have never done any of these things and are expected to make comparisons, and choices without any real knowledge or understanding.

We are surrounded with people who have no real goals in life. They just go to school without any direction of what they should be studying; then they wander around from one job to another, never finding that one that makes them "happy". Or they go from one "spouse" to another never finding the "right" one.

What is missing from their lives? Direction. And where should they find this direction? In serious reflection and prayer. If Christ would not choose His Apostles without prayer, how can we be so foolish as to think we can make correct decisions for our own lives without prayer?

God has a plan for each and every one of us and unless we cooperate and fulfill this specific goal that He has created us for, it is very likely that we will never find true happiness either here on earth or in eternity.

How will we know if He does not tell us or send someone to tell us? In order to be instructed then, we must learn to ask. "Seek and you shall find". We must ask in prayer.

We will not expect that God will appear or that we will hear His voice coming to us as thunder from heaven. But, having prayed and asked with as much fervor and devotion as we are able then we will see that God will make His will manifest to us in the circumstances that we find ourselves in or in the sound advice of a superior or true friend.

As long as we leave God out of the picture and pursue our own wills and not His we will never find the right place for us nor will we ever find true happiness.

It seems obvious that too many people fail to seek to do God's will in their lives. They never even consider God's will. They are too busy running around like a chicken without a head hoping to somehow stumble upon the right vocation or the right spouse. And almost invariably they make a choice which they spend the rest of their lives and perhaps even the rest of eternity regretting.

Let us teach our children to consult God, their consciences, and their superiors for direction in their lives. They should fear making any important decision without first praying. Let those who are in positions that represent God and His authority (This includes not only priests and religious, but also parent, teachers, etc.) also pray that they might advise and guide according to the will of God rather than their own will.

Our choices have very serious consequences both for time and eternity. Let us always seek to have those choices in conformity with the will of God, and then we will have nothing to fear, but will find happiness both now and forever.

Franciscan Benefactor Seraph Subscription Vocations Have you remembered God?