A continuing challenge for most Christians, including yours truly, is consistently doing the will of the Father. Thomas Merton, the great American Trappist monk, reflecting on the topic of God’s will, said: “The will of God is not a ‘fate’ to which we submit, but a creative act in our life producing something absolutely new, something hitherto unforeseen by the laws and established patterns. Our cooperation in seeking the Kingdom of God by doing His will first consists not solely in conforming to laws but in opening our wills out to this creative act which must be retrieved in and by us.” The difficulty, in part, comes from our daily focus. When I am consistently in daily prayer, seeking the grace of the holy spirit to be attentive and humble to his direction, I find the peace needed to hear him and an attitude that opens me to obey His will in love. Being his vessel of love for others determines the quality of our faith. Fr. Rolheiser writes that a mature disciple doesn’t calculate or make distinctions as to whether God is inside of a particular situation or not, whether a person seems worth it or not, whether a person is a Christian or not, or whether a person appears to be a good person or not, before reaching out in service. A mature disciple serves whoever is in need, independent of those considerations. That is the will of the Father, to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do, not for me but for others.