Called Out for Divine Purposes

In a reflection from Not By Bread Along 2024: Daily Reflections for Lent, Catherine Upchurch observes, “Human flaws and weaknesses do not diminish holiness. To be holy means to be called out for divine purposes.”

We see this truth play out over and over again in Scripture. Abraham betrayed his wife; Jacob was a cheat and a liar; Noah was a drunkard; Moses, David, and Judith were murderers; Solomon betrayed the covenant God made with him by worshipping other gods; Zechariah doubted God’s word; Peter betrayed Jesus out of fear. And yet, with all their weaknesses and flaws, these people were instruments in God’s unfolding plan of Self-revelation, liberation, and the peace that comes from living in right relationship.

In this sense, we all have the capacity to be holy, because we are all called out for divine purposes. However, for various reasons, we may not recognize or respond to that call:

• Sometimes we don’t recognize our call because the things we are drawn to do seem so ordinary. How can treating our coworkers with kindness and respect or volunteering to walk dogs at the animal shelter be part of God’s divine purpose?

• Sometimes, like the prophet Jonah, we recognize our call but resist it because we think we know better than God what should be done or who should be invited to the table of forgiveness and mercy.

• Sometimes our understanding of our call is clouded because of self-doubt, societal pressures, indecision, or lack of insight.

God’s creation is in great need of healing and peace. When we are true to the way the Divine Presence is present in each of us, we can live out our unique calling to contribute to the loving, creative, interconnected universe that God envisions.

What God Wants To Do In Us

Lenten resolutions are generally a litany of good intentions about what we intend to do during the six weeks prior to the Easter Triduum. Perhaps we plan to read a spiritual book, start a new prayer practice, fast from unkind thoughts, cut out between-meal snacks, donate money to a homeless shelter, or help out at the local food pantry.

One interesting aspect of Lenten resolutions is that they tend to focus on what we want to do instead of what God wants to do in us. How would our Lenten practices be different if we asked God, “What gifts do you see in me that I’m not using?” “What habits or attitudes are keeping me from having a closer relationship with you?” “What do I need to learn to be a more loving person?”

These questions were sparked by a statement by Dr Glenn Young, a teacher in my spiritual direction training program, who said, “Contemplative prayer is not something we ourselves achieve but something God does in us.” In prayer, as in the rest of life, we like to be in control — but that leads us to judge ourselves by our productivity and can result in feelings of guilt and shame when we fail to reach our self-imposed goals. Admitting that “without Christ we can do nothing” (Jn 15:5) requires humility, but it is the channel to fullness of life.

Asking God, “What do you want to do in me?” does not engender passivity. Maintaining an attitude of attentiveness and openness, giving up our own desire for control, and recognizing that God’s capacity for love, wisdom, and mercy is infinitely greater than our own requires a high degree of trust and engagement.

As usual, I have made some Lenten resolutions this year — to read Holy Longing by Ronald Rolheiser, to try to be less judgmental, to divest myself of items I no longer need. But perhaps most importantly, I hope to practice centering prayer — simply sitting in the presence of God — so if God has some different ideas about where to lead me, I’ll be listening.

Practicing Presence in Prayer

The impulse to be human doings instead of human beings extends to the realm of prayer. We can become overly concerned about achieving benchmarks in prayer (e.g., praying the rosary each day or making sure we get to Bible Study each week). All too easily, we fall into the trap of believing that our worthiness in God’s eyes is tied to the productivity of our prayer life.

 

Image by Lorenzo Quinn

To be sure, prayer practices are essential because of their role in helping us build a relationship with God. Through prayer, we can remember that God is the source of our life; voice our desires and discern what God desires for us; recognize that God is God and we are not; intercede for others, expanding our understanding of what it means to be part of the body of Christ; develop gratitude for the gifts of life; and, ultimately, grow into a bond of love and trust with the One who has loved us into being.

When we love someone, what makes us most happy is simply being with them. The same holds true of God. Eventually, more and more of our prayer entails just sitting in God’s presence. It doesn’t feel like we’re doing anything, and that can be uncomfortable, until we relax into this practice of being. As Richard Rohr, OFM, says, “So much of life is just a matter of listening and waiting and enjoying the expansiveness that comes from such willingness to hold” [this tension].

 

I continue to be touched by a story that was relayed by a sister who was sitting with Sr. Maria Van Hee when she was close to death. Sr. Maria started giggling, and her companion asked, “What are you laughing at?” Sr. Maria replied, “God just told me a joke!” May we all enjoy such intimacy and expansiveness when we open our being to God, whose love and joy is eternal.