Choosing Life and Serving with Wisdom
- Susan Amann
- 35 minutes ago
- 2 min read
This Sunday’s readings speak tenderly and powerfully to women of faith and service—those of us who lead, teach, accompany, organize, counsel, and quietly sustain the life of the Church. They call us back to the heart of our vocation: the daily choice to live and serve from within God’s wisdom.
Sirach reminds us: “If you choose, you can keep the commandments… Before you are life and death, good and evil.” These words are both empowering and grounding. A life of faith and service can feel reactive —responding to needs, expectations, and crises. Yet beneath the busyness lies a deeper truth: we are choosing. Each act of patience, each difficult conversation handled with grace, each hidden sacrifice is a conscious turning toward life.
God honors our freedom. He does not compel our service; He receives our “yes.” In that daily choosing—especially when unseen—our faithfulness becomes a participation in His creative, life-giving work.
Psalm 119 proclaims, “Blessed are those who walk in the law of the Lord.” For women of faith and service, it is tempting to measure blessedness by productivity or visible success. But the psalm gently reorients us. Blessedness flows from fidelity. The Word of God is not another demand layered onto an already full schedule; it is the steady rhythm that keeps our hearts aligned when everything else feels urgent.
When criticism comes, the Word steadies. When affirmation comes, it humbles. When exhaustion sets in, it restores. Our identity is not rooted in performance but in belonging to the Lord whose law is love.
Paul speaks in 1 Corinthians of a hidden wisdom revealed through the Spirit. We, women if faith and service, often navigate complex expectations about leadership, authority, and voice. Worldly wisdom urges us to measure impact and defend our worth. God’s wisdom, however, moves differently. It is revealed in discernment, humility, courage, and trust.
“Eye has not seen… what God has prepared for those who love Him.” Much of our life of faith is fruit that may remain unseen. Seeds planted in faith may bloom long after we have moved on. The Spirit is at work beyond our sight, weaving grace through our faithfulness.
In the Gospel, Jesus deepens the law: moving from external compliance to interior transformation. Anger, resentment, careless speech—these hidden realities matter. For those living a life of faith and service, this is a profound invitation. We are not called to project perfection, but to cultivate authenticity. Reconciliation, integrity, and simplicity of heart make our service lighter and more credible.
Together, these readings offer three consolations: our calling is grounded in freedom; our effectiveness flows from a continually converted heart; and we are guided by the Spirit’s deeper wisdom.
On this Sunday, my invitation is to allow yourself not only to serve but to receive. Remember that before you are life and death—and you have chosen life in Christ. Ask for the grace to keep choosing it, especially when life feels demanding.
May your service flow not from striving but from abiding, not from fear but from freedom, and not from outward performance but from a heart steadily conformed to Christ.