Whose Will?

A Reflection on the Gospel for Sunday, June 15th, 2025:
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

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John
16.12-15

​Jesus said to his disciples: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” 

I have often said this phrase to others, and myself, as an act of encouragement. A way of saying: “Keep going, you got this!” After all, determination is a highly lauded human characteristic. Yet there have been times where I have “willed” that …

…a project be completely perfectly by the deadline…
…a loved one beats a life-threatening illness…
…a difficult meeting ends without any “casualties”…
…spring time in Nova Scotia will actually be spring…

 …but it doesn’t turn out as I wanted and it’s clear that I don’t “got it.” And, okay, maybe that last one I really don’t have any control over. In any case, whose will are we talking about? Mine? Someone else’s? 

Recently, I heard a speaker say: If it’s of my own will, I have to figure it out. If it’s of God’s will, He will figure it out. The will is someone else’s – God’s. Yes, He gifted me with my own will, free will. However, if I believe in the truth, beauty, and goodness of our God, why would I not want His will to play a major part in my life? Each time we pray the Our Father we ask “Thy will be done.” And every day God’s will for the good of my life (and all God's creation!) is done. It’s up to me to see it or, more importantly, receive it. However, because of my stubborn humanness I continue to try to override God’s will with my own.

Thankfully our Triune God doesn’t give up. God is more determined than I could ever be. Did you notice that in this rather short Gospel passage the word “will” is used seven times? That small four-letter word for me indicates three things: hopefulness, steadfastness, and certainty. These are gifts God wills for me. 

Hopefulness because with God there is always something yet to come, a deep and vast hope in the goodness of God that I cannot necessarily see – yet. Appropriate in this Jubilee Year of Hope!

Steadfastness because when I make choices according to my own will and plan, God will not abandon me. He continues to walk with me daily in the joys and the challenges, the hurts and the happy. God is faithful and waits for me to recognize that His dream for me is infinitely better than anything I could ever plan.

Certainty because God will do all the things He promised – when the time is right. His abundant, transformative, and unconditional love can be overwhelming. So God meets me where I am and bit by bit reveals that love as I continue to grow and discover my identity in Christ His Son and the gifts generously poured out for me by the Holy Spirit. Slowly letting go of my own will and recognizing that where there’s God’s will, He is the Way.




​Aurea Sadi

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