Thursday September 8th: Discerning God’s will

‘The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.’

Matthew 1: 18-23

In the gospel of the feast of The Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we see that ‘the angel of the Lord appeared to him (Joseph) in a dream’ and asked him to do something with which he did not initially agree, for it seemed too tall an order, but he acquiesced for he was told that it was of the Holy Spirit.
There are times in our lives when God asks us to do things that seem impossibly difficult, like becoming a nun or a priest, or leading a movement. We may have less difficult dreams but we will know that they are of the Holy Spirit if they will bring peace and love to all.
Lord, give me the wisdom to discern what will bring love to my neighbours.