Truly of God.

We make choices daily. Some are clear-cut. Others involve bending rules for the greater good. We choose between the etched-in-stone letter of the law, as St. Paul puts it, and the ministry of the Spirit.

In her book Renouncing Violence, Mary Margaret Funk examines how to discern whether our actions are truly of God or serve an egotistical outcome. Funk says if our course leads to mercy and compassion, we can feel confident it is of God.

It’s not always straightforward. I once accompanied my husband to an important medical test. His doctor was running forty-five minutes late, and I didn’t return to my office in time for a training session. My red-faced and livid news director chewed me out for missing the meeting. I knew I had chosen the better action. I wouldn’t regret missing a training session that could be rescheduled. I would have regretted not being there when my husband needed me.

Another time en route to Mass, I passed a car that had broken down. This was before everyone had cell phones. I thought about stopping to help, but was already late, and drove on. I should have stopped Jesus makes many consequential choices that ultimately lead to his death. He heals on the Sabbath. He dares to touch lepers and even the dead. He eats with sinners and outcasts. Each time, he chooses mercy and compassion over self-preservation and self-gain.

“Jesus . . . attracts those in need of healing, those who see him as the source of life and wholeness,” Funk writes. Do we draw others in the same way?

Judith Valente. Taken from Give Us This Day.

Judith Valente is a journalist, poet, and author of several books, most recently How to Live: What The Rule of St. Benedict Teaches Us About Happiness, Meaning, and Community. Her website is www.judithvalente.com.