April 18, 2007

When was the last time you had to make a really big decision and you simply did not know which way to go? Maybe you were thinking about leaving your present job, making a major financial investment, discerning your life’s vocation, or caught in the cogs of some legal, medical, or family fiasco. It is at times like these that we can feel lost, alone, and far from home.

During times of crisis, we often wonder why God is so quiet. What’s wrong with Him simply sending us some clear-cut instructions? That way our problem would be solved and we could get on with just living life! In fact, some people have made it their business to speak for God and “help” others in their time of personal crisis. Whether it’s gazing up at the stars, reading cards, or peering into a tea cup or crystal ball, there’s money to be made from people who need an answer—and need it now! It is a travesty, but it’s true; some Christian churchgoers visit their psychic reader on Saturday nights, then spend Sunday mornings in the choir singing, “Trust in the Lord.”

When we need help knowing what to do, we must truly trust in God and not look for easy answers from people and things. Admittedly, the best path to take for making the right choice is neither the quickest nor the easiest, but it is the best—and this first step is prayer. Prayer, as some of us were taught in grade school, “is the lifting up of our mind and heart to God.” It is important we do this “lifting” because all too often we feel weighed down when big decisions have to be made. We drag our feet around as if someone slipped lead in our shoes. This is why at Mass the priest tells us: “Lift up your hearts!” and we respond: “We have lifted them up to the Lord!” But have we?

The second step we need to take is to be obedient. This is really a tough one, and the very reason why so many people make so many bad decisions. Simply put, when we are living contrary to the laws of God and the Church, we quietly usher ourselves out of the light and into the darkness. Thus the equation: no grace, no light – little grace, little light. So, if we want God to deliver the goods, we have to be at the right address, ready and waiting with all the lights on. As God says in the Brooklyn Bible: “you play ball with Me, and I’ll play ball with you!”

The third step is humility. Pride can keep us from getting the help we need, because it keeps us from admitting to ourselves and others that we need help. Yet, it is a fact that important and influential people like presidents and popes always have people to advise them. It is absurd to think that any one person has all the answers, but proud people are absurd, since they refuse to step out and ask for help. It is interesting to note that when it comes to our health or our finances, we have no problem asking for expert advice. The proud wait in vain for help to fall from the sky; the humble often find it falling from the lips and hands of others.

Step four is patience. No doubt, due to the influence of technology, we are all becoming completely unrealistic and impatient with life. Our grandparents knew how to wait and be patient because with them almost everything took time. They waited for the harvest to ripen, the mail to arrive, and the journey to end. We are under the illusion we can “Google” our problems into our computer and immediately find an answer with the click of a mouse. A sapling grows up not by us tugging at it, but by giving it what it needs: warmth, water, and time.

So, why is God so silent? Well, maybe He doesn’t simply want to speak to us, but listen to us. Let us pray. Perhaps God also wants us to examine where we’re at so we can change and become better people. Let us be obedient. Maybe He wants us to leave our isolation and reach out one to the other, so that we can share in His work of helping His children. Let us be humble. Finally, while we walk on this earth, we must wait; only in heaven are there no clocks or calendars. Let us be patient.

Friends, these are the steps. Take them; they will lead you home.

Fr. Glenn Sudano, CFR

Most Blessed Sacrament Friary, Newark, NJ

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