We are being Guided Richard Rhor

We Are Being Guided

“What will happen if I really trust God’s love for me and allow God to direct my life?” —Ilia Delio, Franciscan Prayer

As Francis of Assisi said on his deathbed, “I have done what is mine; may Christ teach you what is yours!” [1] Father Richard teaches that discernment begins with an authentic trust in God’s presence and guidance:

e full life of faith becomes a life of deep joy and rest. Once we are “gra ed to the Vine,” to use Jesus’ words (see John 15:4–5), we don’t have to be anxious about many things (see Luke 10:41). We don’t have to be worried about the next moment or about tomorrow (see Matthew 6:34). We can trust that we are being guided; in fact, almost everything is seen as guidance. Our ability to trust that there is guidance available allows it to become guidance! Basically, we switch from the xing, fully understanding, and controlling mode to the trusting, listening, and allowing mode. en we start allowing the Divine Flow instead of stopping it with a “no” or a question mark.

e Spirit in us knows how to use everything that happens to bring about healing and growth. We can trust that “God is even in this!” at does not mean we shouldn’t work to change and improve things; in fact, quite the contrary. But when our rst heart and soul response is a “yes” and not a “no,” then we can experience God in the moment and see guidance in the events of our lives. We can trust that nothing is wasted. If there are changes and xes that have to be made, we can now take care of them in an appropriate, calm, and positive way. at is what characterizes a mature believer in any religion.

Faith, as we see in the Hebrew Scriptures and Jesus’ usage of them, is much closer to our words “trust” or “con dence” than it is about believing doctrines to be true. Simply believing doctrines demands almost no ego-surrender or real change of the small self. Holding con dence that God is good, God can be trusted, and God is actively involved in my life is a much more powerful and e ective practice. is is the practical power of biblical faith. Faith- lled people are, quite simply, usable for larger purposes because they live in and listen to a much Larger Self.

Richard shares that contemplative practice helps us grow in such trusting faith:

From my own experience, I know I need a contemplative practice. Some form of the prayer of quiet is necessary to touch me at the unconscious level, the level where deep and lasting transformation occurs. From my place of prayer, I am able to understand more clearly what is mine to do and have the courage to do it.

[1] Francis of Assisi, quoted by omas of Celano, e Remembrance of the Desire of a Soul, chapter 162, in Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, vol. 2, e Founder (New York: New City Press, 2000), 386.

Adapted from Richard Rohr, A Spring within Us: A Book of Daily Meditations (Albuquerque, NM: CAC Publishing, 2016), 334–335; and

Essential Teachings on Love, selected by Joelle Chase and Judy Traeger (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2018), 88.

About the Center for Action and Contemplation:

e Center for Action and Contemplation, in Albuquerque New Mexico, is an educational nonpro t that introduces spiritual seekers to the contemplative Christian path of transformation. We o er teachings by our core faculty that are rooted in Christian mystical traditions and point to our intrinsic oneness with God and each other. Founded by Franciscan Richard Rohr in 1987, our programs and resources are designed to help deepen prayer practice and strengthen compassionate engagement in the world.

Learn more about our organization at cac.org or on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter