The First Reading and Gospel for today have a strong emphasis on discernment and call in the spiritual life. We are not capable of identifying and executing for ourselves God's plan for us alone. We see this in the failed initial attempts by Moses and St Paul to please God which end in violence and failure. Rather an ongoing dialogue of prayer and discernment is necessary not just in the beginning of our vocational journey but throughout the whole of our lives. This is not always easy. We see this with the temptations of the Lord not just in the desert prior to his ministry but also when he is challenged by St Peter and in the Garden of Gethsemane. There are many distractions which can derail our missionary discipleship and this is where our Second reading comes into play. Sexual temptation and sin can deafen us to God's voice. There are many other sins as well such as greed, gluttony, self-righteousness, pride, etc. All of these impede our ability to hear God's voice and weaken our ability to respond appropriately. Let us always strive to follow God's call and avail ourselves of his healing mercy when we fail, so as to get up and move forward again.
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