Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation.
These words from Psalm 23, penned by King David thousands of years ago, express his heartfelt desire to know the Lord’s will for his life. It is a prayer which each of us can make our own as we sincerely strive to discern God’s plan for our lives, particularly as it concerns the vocation to which He is calling us.
Blessed John Paul II once described the whole Christian life as a great pilgrimage to the house of the Father, and we make that pilgrimage by faith. We usually don’t see the whole path laid out clearly before us, however.
God typically leads us little by little, a bit like driving at night with the headlights on: Only a small patch of the road is illuminated at a time. Faith is our willingness to follow even when we cannot see where we are going, even when the going gets tough, even when our pilgrimage passes by way of the Cross.
Those of you who are single no doubt experience moments of difficulty and loneliness and wondering what the future holds, as well as moments of peace and joy. I encourage each of you CatholicMatch members to deepen your relationship with God at this point in your life by making a commitment to spend some time every day in intimate dialogue with Him.
“What matters most is that you develop your personal relationship with God,” Pope Benedict stressed during his first pastoral visit to our country in 2008. “That relationship is expressed in prayer. God by his very nature speaks, hears and replies... Far from turning in on ourselves or withdrawing from the ups and downs of life, by praying we turn towards God and through him to each other.”
I encourage each of you to entrust your past, your present, and your future to the Lord. Surrender your hopes and fears and dreams to Him, in full confidence that He desires your happiness even more than you do. If you trust Him completely and open your heart to Him in prayer, He will lead you along the particular path to holiness that He has planned for your life.
"What are you seeking? What is God whispering to you? The hope which never disappoints is Jesus Christ. The saints show us the selfless love of his way. As disciples of Christ, their extraordinary journeys unfolded within the community of hope, which is the Church. It is from within the Church that you too will find the courage and support to walk the way of the Lord. Nourished by personal prayer, prompted in silence, shaped by the Church’s liturgy you will discover the particular vocation God has for you. Embrace it with joy." –Pope Benedict XVI
