From me to you

LIVING IN THE DIVINE WILL 

Whether you are religious or not, have you ever longed, for the peace, rhythm, and meaning in your life — the kind that those living a cloistered environment seem to enjoy? If you do, please read on.  I have spent some days at Tarrawarra Abbey, situated in the heart of the Yarra Valley, 60 kilometres north-east of the city of Melbourne, hosted by a community of Cistercian monks popularly known as the “Trappists.” I would shower at 3 AM to attend the prayer with monks at 4 AM. Not all of us are so called. We have families to attend, children to raise, ageing parents to care, besides washing dishes, balancing a budget, and endless other tedious chores. But here’s the good news! You don’t need to be a monk or a nun, live in a monastery or cloister.  You don’t need to rise up at dawn and chant the Psalms. You don’t need to take formal vows, as those in monastic communities or obey a particular rule of life.  We can all uniquely live out our own vocation — whether that’s through marriage, single life, consecrated life, or something still unfolding, in a way that aligns with our deepest identity and gifts. It’s not about doing more, but about doing what matters. As the Catechism reminds us “prayer and Christian life are inseparable” (CCC 2745). Add to this a little time in study of Living in the Divine Will as taught by Jesus Himself and revealed to the mystic Luisa Piccarreta,  intended to form us into the person we’re meant to become. We can all very easily practice Living in the Divine Will whether that’s through marriage, single life, consecrated life, a student, a retiree, or a new convert. You do not have to escape the world. You can still live a life of holiness amidst the quiet pace of your own unique state in life simply by making God’s Will your priority — aligning yourself with God’s purpose in a way that accelerates everything that God has planned for your life.