Saturday May 25, 2019: When to Yield

I recently watched one of the God’s Not Dead movies. This one was titled: “God’s Not Dead: Light in the Darkness”. The story involves Pastor Hill who is the pastor at St. James church on the campus of a state university. His father was also a pastor at the same church. Conflict arises when some in administration and some students demand that the church be closed due to the inappropriateness of having a church on the grounds of a public institution.

Things come to a head when a student, upset at the church in general, tosses a brick through a basement window. The brick accidentally break a gas line and as the associate pastor goes to investigate, and turns on a light, the gas explodes burning down the church and killing the pastor. The school amps up its demands for the church to close and the pastor fights back with a law suit in order to try to save his church. The result is the dissolving of his close friendship with one of the members of the school’s board and also the pastor attacks the student responsible for throwing the brick.

Hill feels himself drifting further and further from Christ as he fights against what he believes is an injustice. One student asked Hill, “Everyone knows what the church is against. But what we don’t hear is what the church is for”. At a critical point in the film, Pastor Hill stands alone with God in his burned out church and hears the Spirit telling him what he must do. He goes to see the student in prison and asks the boy to forgive him for his failure to forgive. He drops all charges against the boy. He then removes his suit against the school, with the school pledges to build a student center with an area for the church’s outreach program. And Pastor Hill finds a spot in town to build a new church. Tensions ease…people come together God’s voice returns to Hill and to others who were beginning to doubt God’s presence.

In today’s reading from Acts Paul, Timothy and other disciples begin traveling out in to the surrounding areas in order to spread the Good News to those who may not have heard the message or are reluctant to accept it. We are told that the Holy Spirit prevented them from going into the region of Asia and Jesus’ spirit prevented them from entering Bithynia. Why would this be the case? Didn’t these people also deserve to hear God’s word? We also read that Paul received a vision to minister to the people of Macedonia. It was as if all three persons of the trinity were conspiring to direct Paul and his companions to where they needed to go and where they would have the most impact.

Paul and Pastor Hill had decisions to make. Should they stiffen up and say “I know we are meeting resistance in these areas but we are not going to back down. We will push ahead and not be defeated”. Or yield to the pressures they are facing and allow the spirit to work through them in a different direction? Pastor Hill’s decision to yield led to unity and a greater understanding of mercy and forgiveness in those who were losing the light of Christ. And with Paul, well, we all know the results of his ministry.

On the other hand, we should know where it was that Paul found Timothy. It was in Lystra. If you recall, the town of Lystra is where Paul had been stoned, almost to the point of death, and tossed out out town because of his preaching. But while in Lystra he ministered to Timothy, his Mother and Grandmother. All became converts to Christ and Paul’s model of suffering inspired Timothy to follow Paul at a time when Paul had a falling out with Barnabas and needed someone like Timothy to accompany him and to train. His refusal to yield to the threats of the people of Lystra led to the growth of the church in the region.

How do we know when the message we are receiving is truly from the Holy Spirit and it is God’s plan for us. I wish there were a tried and true formula for this…but I don’t think there is. Here are a few tips from Father Burke Masters of the diocese of Joliet, Illinois where he talks about how to discern your call from God. While these tips focus mainly on determining your vocation, I think they can also help when trying to make a hard decision:

“1) Prayer – Develop a prayer life in which you are spending time in silence listening to the voice of God. 

2) Fasting – Make fasting a part of your spiritual life on a weekly basis. Denying our physical desires opens us up to hearing the voice of God and responding to Him generously. 

3) Moral – God never calls us to do anything that is immoral or that goes against God’s law. I can never say that God is calling me to steal, murder or commit adultery, for example. 

4) Persistent – When God calls, He continues to call. He pursues us in love. The Holy Spirit will not call us once and then disappear. 

5) Fruits – The fruits of the Holy Spirit often accompany the call – especially peace and joy. This does not mean that if you are nervous about the call that it is not from God; however, if you experience peace and joy as you meditate on the call, it is very possible the Holy Spirit is involved. 

6) Confirmation – Other people can confirm the call. In my case, after feeling called to the priesthood many people started telling me that I should become a priest. The Lord speaks to us through other people. Pay attention. 

7) Gifts – What are my natural gifts and talents? God has given us talents to share them with the rest of the world. Ask yourself, “What am I naturally good at doing?” and “What do I enjoy doing?” These two questions point us to the natural gifts God has given us. These natural gifts often point us toward our vocation in life. “

In the end, I think, it is a matter of what your relationship is with God. Are you on a first name basis with Jesus? Do you talk with him regularly? Or is He merely a passing acquaintance? The best advice comes from those who you are close to. Friends you can trust and who know you well. You wouldn’t make a decision on a job change, a relationship or a move based on suggestions from a stranger. You would go to your spouse, your children, close friends, a spiritual director….and God. You could do what Pastor Hill did. Spend some quiet time alone with God. This can be done at adoration, in your room or even in a burned out church.

In preparing for this reflection, I read a commentary on the readings in Bible.org. In the discussion the writer asked whether you would notice a difference in your life if the Holy Spirit left the world for a week. He gave examples of people whose lives took a nose dive. Who began sinning in ways they had never done before. And there were those who just cruised through the week without even noticing a difference. Who had the closer relationship with the spirit before it left them? The writer’s contention was that it was the sinners. They experienced the loss of their guidepost. The one who led them along right paths. The others? They continued on unaffected because they never heard the spirit. Their faith was mainly based on rote. Only based on traditions. Little Ts (minor traditions) and not the Big Ts (the main tenets of our faith). They were so busy with the “things” of their practice that they did not take time to listen to the voice of God. Isn’t this what Christ saw in the Pharisees during his time as well? He came to point the way to the Father and reveal that the commandments that counted was to love God and your neighbor. When to Yield and when to Stop.

Today’s Readings

About the Author

Hello! My name is John Ciribassi. I live in Carol Stream, IL in the USA. My wife Elise and I are parishioners at Corpus Christi Catholic Church. We have two adult daughters. One lives in Senegal, West Africa with her husband and her 3 sons. The other teaches Anthropology at the University of Oslo, Norway. We also have a home in Mainesburg, Pa in the North Central part of Pennsylvania. My wife and I are both retired veterinarians, and my specialty is in animal behavior. I attended college and veterinary school in Illinois, where I met my wife who is from the Chicago area, and the rest is history! My hobbies include Racquetball, Pickleball, Off Road Motorcycle Riding, Hiking and Camping. I continue to enjoy the opportunity to offer what little insight I have on the scriptures. But I have always felt that the scriptures can speak for themselves. My job is just to shine a little light on them for people who maybe don't have the time to look into the readings deeply. I hope you enjoy and find value in my writings. I continue to be grateful for this opportunity.

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18 Comments

  1. Enjoyed the reflection John. Thank you.

    It seems to me that all of scripture boils down to Love God, Love your neighbour. Both require daily diligence. Love God who we complain we cannot see, touch, feel or hear. To love God, apply the Lenten application – Pray, Fast, Almsgiving. Love your neighbour, who we can see, touch, feel and hear – and wish we could walk the other way from the ones that rub us the wrong way! Apply the Lenten application : Pray for them, Fast from the desire to react, Almsgiving – be kind, be sincere, give more than you want to. Sometimes, it works, and when it does, it is the Holy Spirit working in and through both. A friend wrote these words in my friendship book when I was a teenager: “When you sprinkle perfume on another, a few drops must surely fall on you.” Sometimes it works, and when it does, Oh what a wonderful feeling!

    Have a great weekend. God bless.

  2. Dear John,
    Thank you for your well written and considered message. I just want to appreciate you for the sharing, and especially for laying out the tips that help us discern a message from God. This has helped me immensely. I look forward to more posts from you!

  3. Hi John, Could you please tell me the difference between “Little T’s and Big T’s. Thanks.

  4. Fasting. Fasting. Fasting. Over and over I read this in scripture. Repeatedly I hear it in reflections such as this. Yet I resist. Yet I start not. Yet I put it off. Yet I admit my weakness in this area. Yet I… Yet I…
    I am so St.Paul-ish in this area of my life when I admit that I “…do not do the good..”

    Triune God, to whom I pray daily, I need your help to overcome this, because I know that it is a missing piece in surrendering my all to you.

    Thank you, John, for yet another reminder and encouragement.

  5. Hi PK.

    For me, I see the Little Ts as all the things that vary from time to time in the Church and from parish to parish. Examples are when you sit, stand or kneel, do you hold hands during the Our Father, do women cover and men uncover their heads. What type of music do you have at each mass. Often, it is this relative minutia that can divide people or cause someone to leave the church.

    Big T’s are the doctrine of who we are as Catholics. It is the stuff that doesn’t change. It can be recited in the Apostles Creed:

    I believe in God, the Father almighty,
    creator of heaven and earth.
    I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, Our Lord.
    He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
    and born of the Virgin Mary.
    He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
    was crucified, died, and was buried.
    He descended to the dead.
    On the third day he rose again.
    He ascended into heaven,
    and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
    He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
    I believe in the Holy Spirit,
    the holy catholic Church,
    the communion of saints,
    the forgiveness of sins,
    the resurrection of the body,
    and the life everlasting. Amen.

    It can be stated in the Kerygma (the stating of our beliefs in Christ. Often repeated by Peter, particularly several times in Act):

    Acts 5:29-32 – Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men! 30The
    God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.
    31God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and
    forgiveness of sins to Israel. 32We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom
    God has given to those who obey him.

    Big T’s are also the Ten Commandments but ultimately it comes down to what Jesus told us:

    Love God and love your neighbor.

    Hope that helps.

    John

  6. Oh yeah. I guess I forgot. “T” stands for tradition with a Capital “T” for the Big Ts and a lower case “t” for the Little t’s.

  7. Great reflection John. The Holy Spirit is our steering wheel. We work the brakes and the gas. Thank you

  8. John, thank you for the great reflection. I had seen the God is Not Dead movie you described and was confused because it didn’t resemble the movie my father described after he watched it. I didn’t realize there were more than one.
    I have difficulty in discerning God’s voice. Your suggestions are helpful, except the sitting in silence to listen to His voice. When I try, my thoughts don’t stop so I hear nothing except my own thoughts. I don’t know how to silence them.
    I also struggle with the fasting. I give something up for lent, or add an activity, but the rest of the year I can’t seem to get my head around it. Maybe I need to pray on things I physically desire and choose to give it up for a time.

  9. Marge and Sandi, I gave up fasting from food and haven’t looked back. I was fasting and became so hungry that my emotions took a nosedive. I wasn’t treating people well, because I couldn’t control my irritation and annoyance, due to hunger. I knew that’s not the sacrifice that God wanted me to make. He eants a contrite heart and a humble spirit, not blood offerings snd sin offerings (as it says in one of the psalms).

    Somewhere, maybe here, I got the idea to fast in other ways. So for Lent, I eat as I usually do, so that I can control my emotions. But I don’t go online other than to do my daily Scripture readings (from the USCCB website), read the reflections here, and to get recipes. Instead of wasting my time reading articles and forum entries that force me to go to bed late, I cut that out and focus on nourishment, both spiritual (Scripture readings and reflections) and corporal (new recipes for my family to try).

    How to continue that past Lent? I don’t know. Just have to try, I think.

  10. I noticed how weird it is that right after declaring to the Gentiles that they don’t need to get circumcised, Paul has Timothy circumcised. Why?!?! Talk about getting lost in the minutiae! And then it says that they delivered the rules to the Gentiles. The same ones which say that they don’t need to be circumcised?!?! Their actions don’t match their words. I have spoken before how I see the Church authorities and its catechism as a carbon copy of the scribes and Pharisees and their strict upholding of the Jewish laws while disregarding love. Now I see that the roots of this problem run deep: back to Paul and Timothy. I wonder what Paul said when Timothy pointed out the irony in him having to get circumcised while,at the same time, bringing the rules that state that Gentiles don’t need to be circumcised?

    And what was the falling out with Barnabas about?

  11. Thank you, John. This is a wonderful reflection! Such great guidance. I looked for a way to email it to myself so I could continue to re-read it.
    I have the same struggles as Sandi and A when it comes to praying and fasting.
    Adore Jesus!!!

  12. A
    I see the section on circumcision as a release from rigid rules. The Jews believed that in order to be Christian, you had to be Jewish first and that required circumcision. Focusing on ritual over substance. Exactly what Jesus was objecting to. Peter correctly pointed out that it was placing an undue burden to routinely require this of someone who merely wanted to follow the teachings of Christ. So the ceased making circumcision a REQUIREMENT of following the Gospel. And this message was spread to the Gentiles.
    However, it did not mean that an individual could not offer sacrifice for a greater purpose. Sacrifice is required for love and Paul and Timothy loved the potential converts they could make enough for Timothy to make a sacrifice and become circumcised. Circumcision was not required for Timothy to be Christian but it was elected to get past the barrier the Jews might present to being receptive to the word.

    The division between Paul and Barnabas involved Barnabas’ cousin, John Mark. He accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first campaign together but when plans developed for a second journey, Barnabas wanted John Mark along again and Paul did not. There is no understanding that I am aware of about what the dispute was. So, the two friends split up over it and never saw each other again.

    John

  13. This is a lovely and thoughtful reflection. I’ve been thinking of the words of Jesus Christ ‘my sheep hear my voice’ and been praying to be able to recognise and obey the voice of Jesus. Also praying to discern the voice of Jesus from my own desires and worldly thoughts. Thank you for this, very helpful.

  14. A
    I found this in today’s reading from Acts 15 on what the issue was with John Mark and why it brought Paul and Barnabas to conflict:

    “Barnabas wanted to take with them also John, who was called Mark,
    38
    but Paul insisted that they should not take with them someone who had deserted them at Pamphylia and who had not continued with them in their work.m
    39
    So sharp was their disagreement that they separated. Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus.
    40
    But Paul chose Silas and departed after being commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.
    41”

  15. Thank you, John! Always happy to get more guidance from the Scriptures! May God bless you and your loved ones!

  16. Hello,
    This is a lovely and thoughtful reflection. I’ve been thinking of the words of Jesus Christ ‘my sheep hear my voice’ and been praying to be able to recognise and obey the voice of Jesus. Also praying to discern the voice of Jesus from my own desires and worldly thoughts. Thank you for this, very helpful.

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