Amos 7:7-15
Ephesians 1:1-14
Mark 6:7-13

Many times, guests come to the monastery to spend time trying to discern the path that God wants them to take. Sometimes they are so concerned about doing the thing God wants them to do that their lives are crippled and at a standstill because, since they can’t figure out their exact calling, they simply do nothing out of fear of going against God’s will. They want to hear a definite call like Amos in our first reading, or like the twelve apostles in our gospel story. But for most people most of the time, our vocations fit more with our second reading: we are simply called to live and grow in Christ and spread his kingdom in our own normal daily lives. That reading (from Paul’s letter to Ephesus) describes our vocation as normal daily Christians, and it quickly becomes apparent that our seemingly unglamorous calling really has cosmic dimensions and implications: “…he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world…he destined us for adoption as his children…according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will…as a plan for the fullness of time…having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel…”

So even though sometimes, and for certain periods, we might discern specific instructions from God like Amos, Paul, and the twelve apostles did, even when we don’t discern those instructions, we can be assured that our lives are more meaningful than we might ever know. We need to always be open to specific calls from God, and we also need to be open to the fact that they might never come. But we can always use the many opportunities presented to us in our daily lives to be apostles and prophets to the small corner of the world where we find ourselves. We can be assured that by doing just that, we are fulfilling our vocations and being obedient to God. No need for agonizing and doing nothing out of fear of disobeying God’s will. God does have a plan for each of us, but it is probably not nearly as specific and detailed as some people would lead us to believe. The parameters of God’s plans for us are as wide as God’s love for us. The instructions for following those plans are as specific and detailed as our every breath. All we need to do is base every thought, word, and deed on love and respect for ourselves, our neighbors, and God. Of course, we don’t do that, and that is why we always need to admit our need for God’s grace to live our vocations as God’s children. We will fail to follow that path as God’s children every day, and God will forgive us of that failure every day.

There is a book in our library that opens with the statement that the most important question we can ask ourselves at the end of each day is: “Have I loved?” Of course the answer is always yes and no, because throughout each day we both succeed and fail in our vocations. And so we pray every day for God to help us be better apostles and prophets. We read scripture and let it slowly form us into better apostles and prophets. And we come here to gather at God’s table to allow God to feed us with himself as he makes us just what he wants us to be – no more, and no less. God calls us every day and every moment, and that call can be answered every day and every moment by simply living our dull, daily lives with faith, hope, and charity as we spread God’s kingdom in our own dull, daily worlds.   AMEN