Bulletin Week October 31, 2021

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Letter from Fr. John Tetlow

How do we discern God’s will in our lives?  This is a question I often get asked.  God places many spiritual gifts within our souls and it’s not always evident what these are, which is why we must spend time in silence with our Lord so he can reveal to us his needs and desires, which are part of our faith journey.

In the silent stirrings of your heart, God will speak his desires for you.  Without quiet attention to the Almighty, you cannot clearly hear His voice.  Set aside quiet time each day to ask the Lord – what do you want for me? Then listen for his reply.  Whenever possible, visit the Blessed Sacrament.

Discernment is all about trying to understand, wrestle with and come to peace with God’s will in your life.  Christ is present in the sacraments so it is imperative that we confess often, never miss receiving the Eucharist, and that we seek out Eucharistic Adoration.  These are all channels of grace that help us go deeper into our faith journey and relationship with Christ.

Pope Benedict XVI stated, “Eucharistic Adoration is an essential way of being with the Lord, where we can speak with him about everything.  We can bring him our petitions, our concerns, our troubles, our joys, our gratitude, our disappointments, our needs and aspirations.  There we constantly ask him ‘Lord, send laborers into your harvest, help me be a good worker in your vineyard.’ “

When we speak and listen to our Lord, we develop a relationship, and through this we come to know his will.  As with all relationships, it takes time and energy.

The primary characteristic of a relationship that is growing is a deep love of Jesus and Church and an encompassing desire to seek and fulfill God’s will.  To foster this, we must have an ardent prayer life and receive the sacraments often.  The more you spend time in your personal prayer life, the more you will receive answers and assurances.  God will be revealing Himself to you and you will grow in holiness and wisdom.

Father John