Invoke, or Not, God is with Us

"Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit"

"Invoked or not invoked, God is present."

This Latin quote was made popular by Carl Jung, the eminent psychologist, who had the quote inscribed over the front door of his house (sounds like a Hebrew spiritual practice, yes?), as well as on his tombstone. This phrase comes to mind as I once again become aware of the beautiful changes occurring around us in God’s beloved creation this fall season. With the changing of the seasons I am reminded again that life is always evolving, moving from one season of change to another.

If you are reading this blog in the Northern Hemisphere and go outside after reading these words, you will definitely feel the change in the air about you.

There is no doubt - fall is here. Well yes, technically, of course, it has been her for a while, as fall officially started with the autumnal equinox in September. But, until the weather changes in earnest, I don’t always feel like fall is here. Waking up this cooled morning it was confirmed in me, fall is here! Summer vacations are over. School is back in session. The calendar has begun to fill up. Baseball is in the post-season, football is back on our minds and televisions (you must remember a  red blooded American male is the author of this blog). We are “back at it again,” so to speak. We’re working our way through the passing of another season and the shift of “life- rhythms” that comes with such a change.

As we pass through these seasonal changes and the way our “life patterns” move along with them, I find myself reflecting on what all this means for us. Each season seems to be a “container,” a “vessel,” a “holder,” if you will, for very important aspects of our lives. Summer brings freer schedules and much needed time for respite and relaxation. Summer is a time for our lives to “breath” a little. It’s a season to step back, relax and to take account. This is good. The movement from summer to fall, however, seems to be marked by settling back into fixed schedules, and a more structured way of life. And this is good too. God is in the structures and schedules, just as much as God is in the free times for play and fun.

Our lives need structures and schedules; we need “containers” within which to place our lives. (These “life containers” is one metaphor to help understand our baptismal vows, and for some who have taken other vows laid upon that first ordination, such as marriage, holy orders ordination, or religious life.) Yet, moving through the changes that different seasons bring is not always easy.  I have faith, however, that if we can see God in these changes, see them as a natural part of our lives, and as something that shapes and forms us, then I think we can grow from the challenge it is to adjust to such change.

This is true for not only the seasons in our natural world, but also the “seasons” we travel through in our spiritual lives.  Changes are challenging. But, with challenge comes growth. The challenges of change are not easy, but with God’s grace in the mix, these challenges can become great blessings in our lives. There are things such as “blessed changes and challenges” within our lives. Why, you might ask? Because God is in such challenges and shifts.

So, as we get “back at it again” this fall with new schedules and structures for our lives, may we always be mindful that God is in these moments. May we be watchful for God’s continued presence and active work in our lives. And yes, God is just as active and present in the lives we live in the fall, as the lives we lived in the summer. So, be expectant, be watchful – God is with you! "Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit" "Invoked or not invoked, God is present."

A fellow student of the Way learning to live in a God saturated world,

Fr. Jason+