The Sayings: Need vs. Call

Practical Wisdom (Part I)

Prefatory Note: The Desert Fathers, the hermits who stand at the origins of monasticism, are known for their sayings. These pieces of wisdom were practical bits of common sense and they’ve been handed on from generation to generation. As Thomas Merton puts it, “The Fathers were humble and silent men, and did not have much to say. They replied to questions in few words, to the point…Their brevity is refreshing, and rich in content.” Though not Desert Fathers, I do believe God’s wisdom has also been expressed through wise people who have mentored me over the years and whose sayings echo through my mind. I ruminate on them year after year, situation after situation. Over the next few weeks, I will share a few of their nuggets of practical wisdom.

Once, probably about ten years into ministry, I was sitting with Fr. Dave Pivonka and chatting over dinner. I was working for the Archdiocese at the time and relating to him something about a huge need I had discovered — one that was not being met. I laid out for him the scope of the particular need, the gravity of the need, and my proposed solution for addressing the need. The solution would have involved a huge investment of my time and likely would have required starting a non-profit so as to be solely devoted to addressing the need.

Fr. Dave listened patiently as I bloviated. In all honesty, I was self-confident and looking for Fr. Dave, a mentor of mine and a kind of spiritual giant, to sanction my plans, thus kickstarting a career change I welcomed after a few years of bureaucratic mire.

When I finished speaking, he paused for a few seconds. Then, he said, “You know, Brad, just because there is a need does not mean you are called to do something about it. The Church has a ton of needs. People have a ton of needs. The real question isn’t ‘What is needed?’ but ‘What is God asking me to do?’”

Distinguishing between needs that exist and what I am called to do in response (if I am called to do anything) is essential.

I took his words to heart. After several days of prayer, I realized God wasn’t calling me to do anything about this particular need other than interceding for the right person to step up in response to their own calling to address it. And that is what I did.