Are you listening to the call of the Lord?

Reflections for this Sunday's Liturgy

Some years ago, when I began my discernment for the priesthood, the vocations director I was working with at the time asked me to make sure I was reading some books about the priesthood. Being already something of a 'fan' of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, I turned straight away to reading his classic work The Priest is not his Own. When I told him, the vocations director said he thought the book was 'a little dated', yet nevertheless I persevered. In it, I read what I have come believe is the most important thing I ever read; I read about the Holy Hour.

For Archbishop Fulton Sheen the Holy Hour was a big deal. He encouraged every priest, seminarian and consecrated person to spend one hour a day in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, and he described it as the 'hour of power', from which all the graces of ministry and consecration flow. I was deeply inspired by this advice - not least because it was so practical. He was not selling some skill to be attained, or asking me to experience something that he experienced, but which I might not. He was simply saying to spend an hour each day before the Lord, in silence. While he made some suggestions for how to spend the time - he was very keen that we should all meditate more on the Scriptures - in the end the most important thing was that we should spend the time.

Once I entered seminary - training for the priesthood - I took up his advice, and in nine years of formation, I am convinced it is the most important thing that I did. Seminary formation is not ideal. I wish I could say that the years living in that community were a seamless, joyful formation in wisdom, virtue and the love of God; but, that was not my experience. I experienced much good, but also my fair share of struggle and trial. There were some outstanding people involved in my training, but also some who were not. And, as with all periods of studying (again, in my experience), in priestly formation there exists the danger of growing in a sort of myopia, which can be counterproductive to virtue and holiness.

Yet, through all the ups and downs, dangers and turmoils of living for seven years alongside and in obedience to people with whom one probably would not have chosen to form community, the Holy Hour remained, for me, a constant and a bedrock; a daily encounter with the Lord. Over the door to our chapel was written the words magister adest et vocat te (the Master is here and is calling you. cf. John 11.28) and above the tabernacle were inscribed the words non vos me elegistis sed ego elegi vos (You did not choose me, I chose you. cf. John 15.16). In the chapel, each day, I would give space to the Lord to renew His call to me in accord with His choice; and by giving Him that space I was renewing my resolve to respond.

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What does Jesus say that the rich man must do in order to inherit eternal life? There's a pretty good chance that you are thinking - go and sell all he owns and then come follow. However, if you go back to the text you will see that that is not what he says.

‘Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You must not kill; You must not commit adultery; You must not steal; You must not bring false witness; You must not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’ 

In response to this important question, Jesus' answer is essentially to keep the commandments of God. The most basic call that every human being experiences in his or her conscience is to do good and avoid evil. The Commandments of God, handed down to us through the teachings of the Church clarify for us the good to be done and the evil to be avoided. However, this is known to everyone if they they search inside themselves, because the commands have been implanted within us by God.

Since they express man's fundamental duties towards God and towards his neighbor, the Ten Commandments reveal, in their primordial content, grave obligations. They are fundamentally immutable, and they oblige always and everywhere. No one can dispense from them. The Ten Commandments are engraved by God in the human heart. (Catechism of the Catholic Church §2072)

Every human person has a basic call to live according to the commandments, or not; and their decision expresses something real about their desire for God, or not.

However, for the Christian, desiring a deeper, more intimate relationship with the Father, there should be a desire to go beyond this basic level of command. Rather than simply doing good, the question might be what good, specifically, do you desire of me, Lord? In which way of life, or, in which service, can I give myself more fully to you? If we have come to know God, it is only natural to want to place these questions before Him.

And it is in this context that the young man responds to Jesus.

‘Master, I have kept all these [Commandments] from my earliest days.’ 

Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, ‘There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’

Some Christians are called to follow Christ in this radical way. Many do renounce all that they have embrace vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. However, others are called to serve God in the secular world and many are called to marriage and family life. Furthermore, within our states of life, God also extends certain invitations to serve him in many and various way; through teaching, proclaiming and sharing the faith, through serving the Church's mission and worship, or, through manifesting God' love for the poor in certain, definite ways.

Yet, without creating space in our lives to listen to God, how will we ever know that to which God is calling us? If we never ask, we will never find out.

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In a world that is so full of 'busyness', with so much work to be done and so much entertainment to consume the rest of our time, where do we set aside the quality time to be with God and listen to his call on our lives? Even when we are very busy, we find time to eat; but, do we find the space to feed the hunger of our souls?

As lay-people living full lives, I would never expect you to find an hour a day, nor necessarily to be able to be able to come and be in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament everyday. However, a man or woman seeking the heart of Jesus Christ should be giving Him some meaningful time, each day.

How much time will vary according to your circumstances. I would suggest being generous, but realistic. But, as a bare minimum, I would venture that 20 minutes is the place to start. 1/3 hour in a 24 hour day - surely that is not too much to ask for the God who made you, sustains you, and offers you the way to eternal life? And yet, it is enough time to be a sacrifice. It will not be easy, if you are not used to it, and it may take time, effort and perseverance to acquire the habit and routine. But, I promise you that it is worth it.

 

It really does not matter when you spend the time, or where - as long as you have created, as best you can, space for interior silence. Turn off your phone, go away from people who will disturb you, and simply be with God. I strongly commend turning to the Scriptures, and for a very practical way to do this, I commend to you The Better Part, which is a superb guide to praying with the Gospels.

I am quite, quite certain that I am a very different person, today, for that decision I made well-over ten years ago to make the Holy Hour a part of my life. I am equally certain that anything good in my priesthood, through the prayers of Our Lady, flows from that hour of power. We will never know what good might have happened in the life of that rich young man if he had followed Our Lord's invitation. Perhaps he later changed his mind, or perhaps not - and that is very sad.

However, sadder still, would be, if we, today, knowing Our Lord's goodness chose not to ask Him what good we should do. Let's not make that mistake; let's make a firm resolution to find meaningful space for Him in our lives each day. In a few years, you will not be the same - but I promise you, you will not regret it!

There is a Kindle^TM version of The Better Part available here, at the very reasonable price of £6.52, or click on the picture for the print volumes.