Road maps to Happiness

Which way now Lord?

"Which way now Lord?" The decision to serve the Lord Jesus Christ as a priest or consecrated religious is usually not something one makes in a "split second". In the journey we call life, God speaks to us slowly and gradually. Sometimes His message seems confusing or frightening. He sometimes seems to speak to us as an uneasy conscience, or perhaps in the context of a " feeling" of incompleteness. At other times He speaks to us boldly and clearly (as in the teachings of the Catholic Church). Sometimes He speaks to us in what appears to be questions of life; questions that seem to have no answer apart from God and His love for us.

In the middle of this the Holy Spirit works powerfully. Under His influence we feel ourselves drawn more and more to the Lord of Life (sometimes torn apart). "God, where are you, who are you, what do you want me to do?" It is usually with feelings such as these that we come to examine the possibility of a vocation to the monastic life or the priesthood. Most of us come to a monastery or seminary, not sure of the future, not even sure if this is really what God wants of me or for me.

The definitude of my past, the uncertainty of my future, my inability to articulate even my dreams and visions, all bring home the fact that I am on a journey, not just a spatial journey ( a moving from "here" to "there") but a very human journey; one that will lead me through time and space, through categories and visions, personalities, people and possibilities. Its a journey that will bring me face to face with my talents and my limitations. It will show me my strengths but also make me aware of my weaknesses. Ultimately is a journey of faith because all of these things, no matter how small they may seem, are important events in my life as I travel my road to God. They are signposts of spirituality written in a language that makes sense to me, only in the light of my journey to be with Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

If Spirituality is a "way to holiness"[1], a way to possessing God and being possessed by Him, then the question "Which way now Lord ?" is a good way to begin the life-long process of discerning my vocation. Not only does it humbly acknowledge that the Lord Jesus Christ alone has the authority of setting the direction of my life, it is also a question which gives rise to many more penetrating questions.

Under the Lordship of Jesus we begin to ask ourselves bold questions. Who am I? Why am I here? What is happiness? How can I find it? What is the purpose of my life? Where will my purpose lead me? These are questions that each of us must ask himself at some point in his life. Seemingly secular questions, they are in fact philosophical, religious, and real. Trite as they may seem at a cursory glance, they are in fact the most important questions we will ever ask ourselves because the answer to the "who, why, what and how" of me rests in God Himself.

It is precisely through my loving and complete response to God in Jesus Christ that I become the "me" that God wants me to be. It is in my faithful discernment of and submission to God's holy will that I come to know who I am and where I am going in this journey called "life". Our discernment must be such that we can say with St. Augustine: "To know Thee O Lord is to know me, and to know me is to Thee." For such a discernment to be authentic, I must place myself under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; listening, praying hoping and living my life in the Spirit of the Living God.

1. Why am I here?

2. What is happiness?

3. How can I find happiness?

4. What is the purpose of my life?

5. Where will my "purpose" take me?

These questions are PHILOSOPHICAL because they are questions we ask as we seek to gain some wisdom about ourselves. They are RELIGIOUS in that the answers to these questions help to "color in" our relationship to God, self and others. These questions are REAL questions in that they transcend language, culture and educational levels. These questions deal the human meaning, something all people seek. They are IMPORTANT questions in that the answers we may find to these questions are of eternal significance.

The answers we find to these questions will help to color in our lives as much as our lives color in the way we find the answers. Consciously or unconsciously, these questions pervade all of human living and decision making.

When it comes right down to setting about the business of answering these questions, various factors come into play:

Culture, Personality, Family Background, Religion, Experience are elements of profound significance in the life (and faith) journey.

My culture helps to shape my perceptions about the "who" of my life, the "what" of my purpose, the "how" of my happiness, the "why" of my existence and "where" I find meaning or purpose. The place I come from, the language I speak, the symbols I use to interpret and express friendship, love and sorrow, etc, all play their part in the way I answer these questions. American, Canadian, Philippines, etc.

Each of us has a different personality, a set of preferences we use in the way in which we choose to deal with reality.

we remember the experiences we have encountered in our families. These experiences, together with our family histories also help to shape our perceptions about things.

Eg: The Catholic from Northern Ireland who comes to America and finds his daughter married to a Protestant. He gets excited and upset saying there is no such thing as "good protestant". He can't accept his son in law. He is colored by the antagonisms between Catholics and protestants in Northern Ireland and the corporate feelings of repression that Catholics suffered because of persecutions.

Because of our Catholic Christian Faith, we believe that the "who, what why and where" of our lives are rooted in Jesus Christ and the great events of our baptism and guided by a life in the Holy Spirit.

You who were Baptised in Christ were baptised into his death. Through Baptism into his death we were buried with him, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so that we too might live a new life. Rm. 6:6

"Burn me once, shame on you, burn me twice, shame on you." Our personal experiences help to shape the way we tackle these questions.. We measure these questions and weigh them against the most reliable data we happen to have on hand. Often-times this happens to be our own personal experiences. Past personal experience is not infallible, but it real and helpful. In other words, Where I am going "to" is in some way influenced by where I am coming "from". My "roots" or "rootedness" help me, as a human being, to grapple with the questions: who am I, why am I here, how can I find happiness, what is the purpose of my life, where will that purpose lead me?

Each of us has come to Society of Saint Augustine (hopefully) for one of two reasons:

1. I believe that the answers to the questions discussed above are found in God's call for me to serve Him and His kingdom as an member of this community.

2. In following the promptings of the Holy Spirit, am trying to discern the answers to these questions and I have reason to believe that the answers are somehow tied to the Augustinian way of life in the Society of Saint Augustine. I am here to find out whether or not God is calling me to be a member of this community.

Therefore, in a truly profound and religious sense, this year of spirituality is to be a year of "journeying", and as we journey, each of us are specifically asking the following questions:

I. Does the spirituality of St. Augustine help me to answer the question "who am I?" in light of the fact that God has made me unique ?

II. Can a traditional mendicant, communal, Augustinian way of life help me to determine God's purpose for my life, and can I achieve that purpose within this community ?

III. Can a vowed life of Chastity, Poverty and Obedience in a 'traditional' Catholic Community be the "how" of my happiness ?

IV. Why am I here? What motivates me to be an "Augustinian" Servant of God instead of being a Franciscan, or Dominican, Benedictine or Diocesan priest ? Why am I not seeking marriage like most people do?

V. Where will God lead me if I commit myself to becoming a Servant of God in the "Augustinian" way of life>

An Augustinian Introduction

back to the Augustinian Home Page