Verse of the Day.

"Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your kind spirit guide me on ground that is level." - Psalms 143:10

Today, we have before us a very insightful verse as our main focus. The Psalmist recognizes the fact that he needs guidance from God to be able to carry out His will. Before we carry out the Lord's will, we have to know that God's will is very challenging and most of the time it appears contrary and contradicts our own will in so many ways. To do the will of God, one must be ready to make choices that are kind of challenging.

We see this in the story of the rich young man who went to Jesus inquiring what he ought to do to enter the kingdom of heaven. He was a man of faith; he indeed told Jesus that he had faithfully followed both the commandments of God and the laws that governed the people of Israel. But the challenge came when Jesus told him to sell all he had and give the money to the poor. When the young man heard this, we read that he went away unhappy (Matthew 19:16-22 NABRE). This is how challenging it is to do the will of God.

Another scenario is in the Gospel of Luke when John the Baptist was baptizing people in preparation for the coming of Christ. Many sinners approached him to be baptized, but the most intriguing ones are where he talks to the tax collectors, instructing them not to collect more than what is prescribed, and to the soldiers, telling them not to practice extortion, not to falsely accuse anyone, and to be satisfied with their wages (Luke 3:10-14 NABRE). This does not only refer to them but to all of us today. Do we have similar tendencies that John preached against? Look into your heart and see the moments where you neglected the will of God to satisfy your own.

About the judgment day sermon, Jesus talks about those who visited the sick, those in prison, clothed the naked, fed the hungry, and gave drink to the thirsty, insisting that whatever was done for such people was done for him. Others claimed that they preached, healed the sick, and drove out evil spirits, but he will tell them he does not know them and tell them to depart from him. They clearly did not do the will of God, whereas those who carried out his will were accepted into the heavenly Father's kingdom (Matthew 25:31-46 NABRE).

The Bible teaches that faith without works is dead. The will of God requires us to be proactive. It requires physical effort and actions like feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and all the corporal works of mercy that the Church teaches (James 2:14-26 NABRE).

To truly understand the will of God, for it is so challenging, we need to be taught by the Holy Spirit. We need to pray and let His spirit guide us in all we do.

Read this verse three times and ponder it deeply in your heart. Let it speak directly to your heart. Let it push you to always desire doing the will of God. Holy Spirit, Guide and Comforter, come dwell in me richly. Kindle in my heart the fire of Your love, renew the face of my life, and lead me step by step to fulfill the Father's perfect plan. Help me to be proactive in faith, to turn belief into action, and to trust even when I do not understand.

Heavenly Father, loving and faithful God, You who are my rock and my refuge, teach me to do Your will, for You alone are my God. In the challenges and contradictions of daily life, when my own desires pull me away and the path seems steep and uncertain, send forth Your kind Spirit to lead me on level ground. Enlighten my mind with Your wisdom, strengthen my heart with Your courage, and inflame my soul with a burning love to serve You above all.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, merciful Savior, like the rich young man I too hesitate at times; grant me the grace to let go of what holds me back, to embrace the cross of selfless love, and to live the works of mercy with joy, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the imprisoned, comforting the sorrowful, as if I were doing it all for You, May Your will be done in me as it is in heaven. Be my right hand, my constant companion, my strength and my peace in whatsoever I do. Through the intercession of Mary, who said "yes" to Your will without reserve, I offer this prayer. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.