“Seeking only God, seeing God in all things, This is to become greater to all things that are just human” (St. Gaspar Bertoni)
It is not always easy to do the will of God. In the first place, discernment is necessary, for, many times, we run the risk of confusing our desires and personal impulses with the will of the Lord. Not always will it be that what we desire is what He asks. Therefore, wisdom and discernement are fundamental in the spiritual road.
To cultivate a garden, it is necessary to know the right time to plant each flow, otherwise the fruits will be compromised. In the field of spirituality everything is the same. In order to live that which God inspires in our heart, it is necessary to know what He reserves for each stage of our existence. And how do discover what God desires? Each moment he speaks with a human being through concrete signs daily. We should not wait for an angel to appear and say: “You should do this, for this is the will of the Lord!” God uses these situations, persons and events in order to communicate with us.
Looking at life with an open heart for the presence of the Lord is the first step to spiritual discernment. Only when we open the doors of our heart, for the signs of the presence of God in the dailylife, can we see and hear what He asks us. Seeing Him in the diverse situations of life is also a fundamental step for spiritual growth. Nothing the presence of the Lord in nature can develop an enormous sensibility in the spiritual world but also is knowing to recognize this presence in a smile, a tear, in a difficult situation, an illness is fundamental.
To cultivate a garden, it is necessary to know the right time to plant each flow, otherwise the fruits will be compromised. In the field of spirituality everything is the same. In order to live that which God inspires in our heart, it is necessary to know what He reserves for each stage of our existence. And how do discover what God desires? Each moment he speaks with a human being through concrete signs daily. We should not wait for an angel to appear and say: “You should do this, for this is the will of the Lord!” God uses these situations, persons and events in order to communicate with us.
Looking at life with an open heart for the presence of the Lord is the first step to spiritual discernment. Only when we open the doors of our heart, for the signs of the presence of God in the dailylife, can we see and hear what He asks us. Seeing Him in the diverse situations of life is also a fundamental step for spiritual growth. Nothing the presence of the Lord in nature can develop an enormous sensibility in the spiritual world but also is knowing to recognize this presence in a smile, a tear, in a difficult situation, an illness is fundamental.
When it comes to grief, a struggle and sickness, having discernment is extremely important. God does not desire the suffering of the human being, an this will be contrary to His loving nature, for “God is love”. His presence in a struggle or sadness is guarantee that He does not abandon His children in any moment, in even sickness, when He makes Himself present in each situation, being help, comfort and peace.
In the trajectory of life, God walks on the side of the human being and never abandons him. Opening the heart to the divine presence is to encounter oneself with Love, the visible presence of the Father.
:: Excerpt from the book “Amor Sem Fronteiras”[Love Without Limits].
Padre Flávio SobreiroFr. Flávio Sobreiro has a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas, Brazil. His theology degree comes from the Catholic College of Pouso Alegre in Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil. He is currently the Parochial Vicar of Nossa Senhora do Carmo Parish in Cambuí-MG and is pa priest for the Archdiocese of Pouso Alegre – MGwww.facebook.com/oficialpadreflavio