Dr. Helen Titilola OLOJEDE

Last week, we started a discussion about knowing God’s will, and we highlighted three (3) ways this happens: prayer, sacred scripture, and the sacraments. In addition to the above ways, God also guides us through the wisdom of the Church and the counsel of others. Spiritual directors, confessors, wise friends, and faithful family members can often help us recognize what we struggle to see ourselves. This does not mean surrendering our responsibility to make decisions, but it is a reminder that God frequently speaks through the community of faith. Humility enables us to seek advice, while prudence helps us weigh that advice carefully in the light of prayer, Scripture, and the teachings of the Church.

One important idea we should note is that knowing God's will rarely means having every detail of the future revealed. Abraham left his homeland without knowing exactly where he was going. Mary accepted the angel's message without understanding all that lay ahead. Saint Joseph obeyed God's instructions one step at a time. Their examples should teach us that faith is not certainty about tomorrow but rather confidence in the God who holds tomorrow. Sometimes God reveals only the next faithful step because He desires us to trust Him rather than rely solely on our own understanding.

There are also moments when God appears silent. Such seasons can be unsettling, yet we should not take them as signs of abandonment. The silence of God often invites deeper trust, greater patience, and spiritual maturity. During these periods, the safest course is to remain faithful to what we already know: continue to pray, participate in the sacraments, fulfil our daily responsibilities, practise charity, and avoid making impulsive decisions driven by fear or emotion. Faithfulness in the ordinary prepares us to recognize God's guidance when the way forward becomes clearer.

Ultimately, the way we know God’s will is not about discovering a secret plan, but about walking daily with Christ. A person who seeks God sincerely, nourishes their faith through prayer and the sacraments, studies the Scriptures, listens to the Church, and strives to love others can trust that God is leading them, even when the road is uncertain. As Cardinal John Henry Newman beautifully prayed, "Lead, Kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom." The Christian life is not about seeing the whole journey at once. It is about allowing Christ, who is the Light of the World, to illuminate the next faithful step, confident that He will never lead us astray.

Come, Holy Spirit, and fill the heart of the faithful…