St. Joseph

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
 
What prompts you to make the decisions you make? When confronted with a decision, whether one that is more trivial and mundane or one that is more significant and profound, we rely on guidance. That guidance can be the result of impulse and passion or the fruit of the interior voice of conscience. Decisions made on impulse and passion can be misguided and erroneous. Decisions based on conscience, or the moral voice within, will reflect the depth and maturity of our soul work. A more contemplative soul will make more contemplative decisions. A less developed conscience will make decisions based on the individual’s level of development.
 
Conversion and a change of heart are at the core of Jesus’ message precisely because of this reality. We are works in progress. For the person on fire with the Holy Spirit and centered on God, life reflects an ever-deepening awareness and heightened sense of God’s presence and a greater willingness to do God’s will. What is happening internally is validated by what is witnessed externally. The hypocrite is the one who says yes when they really mean no. From the start, they had no desire to do the virtuous act but wanted to outwardly appear as if they did.
 
Where are you on the road of integrity? Honesty is all that is required. God is good with that. It is okay to struggle with our decisions and wrestle with ourselves. Consciences on the path to maturity and greater depth are not always going to know what action is immediately best. We may, at first, say no to what we know is right and, after prayerful reflection and thought, come around to doing it. Conversion happens when our no changes to yes, regardless of how sinful or out of sync we may be at the time. God is anxious to welcome us to Himself. But we cannot embrace Him unless we want to. Learning to orient our gift of free will to what is of divine origin, right, and best is a discipline we must always tweak and perfect.