13 July 2025 #Ifonly

Reading Moses' words from Deuteronomy today brought a smile to my face: “If only you would heed the voice of the Lord, your God, and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this book of the law…” As a parent, I can’t help but hear echoes of my own pleas: “If only you’d done what I told you, things would’ve been so much easier!” Like Moses, we parents know what’s best for our children, yet they often resist. From toddler tantrums to teenage defiance, their responses range from “Whatever” to “That’s too hard” or “That’s stupid. No way!” Sound familiar?

But Moses doesn’t entertain excuses. He gets straight to the point: “For the commandment that I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you. It is not up in the sky… nor is it across the sea. No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your heart; you have only to carry it out.” In other words, God has placed a unique mission in your heart, and it’s up to you to accept it.

God has laid a specific purpose within each of us, one we must freely choose to embrace. On my desk sits a paperweight, a parting gift from the Catholic Studies community, inscribed with a quote from John Henry Newman: “God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another.” Leaving the comfort of academia for the challenges of ministry was a difficult decision. My initial reaction? A firm “Absolutely not.”

I had my reasons, just like the priest and Levite in the Good Samaritan story. They had roles requiring ritual purity—touching a bloodied man would render them unclean, unable to serve their people for weeks. Similarly, I worried I’d be abandoning my hard-earned Master’s degree, my chance to teach theology to young adults, and my role in forming Catholic leaders.

The Samaritan, too, had valid reasons to pass by. Traveling on a dangerous road, stopping made him vulnerable to bandits. Riding an animal, he was likely in a hurry to reach Jericho, where someone awaited him. He had the means to help, but paying for a stranger’s care—without assurance it would be provided—was risky. Yet he stopped. He cared for the stranger, delayed his journey, and arrived in Jericho poorer than planned. But he fulfilled the work God set before him. So did I.

The past ten years in ministry have been a glorious journey, filled with no regrets. I imagine the Samaritan, arriving in Jericho, reflected on his adventure with similar satisfaction. If only you heed the voice of the Lord and embrace the mission He has uniquely crafted for you, you might find it… gloriously satisfying.

#Ifonly