Oct 06th - Bruno

Often times when we speak about vocation, especially to youth, we talk about giving ourselves over to God's will, that is, hearing His call to us and following. God calls us, by the very nature of "vocation", and we live by that vocation.
But the part that we often leave out is that it is not always easy to do.
Sometimes we thwart the will of God for us by specifically and willfully avoiding His call.
Other times we hear the will of God for us but others try to dictate what that will should be for us or how we should live out our call, which can confuse us and even, perhaps, thwart the will of God for us.
It is hard to know if we are seeking selfish pursuits or doing the will of God; it is hard to hear God's call amidst all of the good advice.
Bruno seems to dodge and weave through many mine fields of the desires of others for him in order to follow God as he felt called.
I am sure that he would still have become a saint even if he had followed the paths laid out for him by others, but not in the way he is.
Bruno pray for us, especially as we wander through the valley of vocation. Ask God to be by our side with His rod and His staff to comfort and guide us to truly do His will throughout our whole lives.

---

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though
I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

-- Thomas Merton, Pax Christi