Do I have a choice?
- Fr Raphael Ma, CR
- Matthew 21: 28 - 32
A Resurrectionist Vocation Minute for October 1, 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Do I have a choice?
Back in the summer of 2013, I began exploring the question of whether God might be calling me to a vocation to religious life. That might seem like a pretty uncontroversial question – but I had happily been in seminary for 3 years already, and many expected me to become a Diocesan priest in 4 years.
The decision before me was not between something bad and something good, but between two goods. I felt my own reservations about the challenges of religious life, and also the potential of disappointing the expectations of everyone.
But a wise priest at that time said something I will never forget: “whether you become a Resurrectionist, or a Diocesan Priest, or whether you leave seminary and get married, it must be your own choice and not someone else’s. And I will support you whatever you choose.” That was extremely freeing for me, and helped me to make a choice that – though it has not always been easy – to this day I have not regretted.
Sometimes we can feel pressured to make decisions, and if the decisions involve God, the pressure can seem completely overwhelming. But the truth is – God really does give us a choice. And God even gives us the freedom to say No. The real question is – what is it that we are really choosing by our Yes or No?
“…our conversion is a dynamic, lifelong process. We must constantly die to self (self-will, self-love, self-activity) in order to rise by the power of the Holy Spirit to a new life of love in Christ. A similar life-long process is involved in our coming to know God's unconditional love for each of us as the most fundamental fact of our lives.”