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The Will is the Difference The depth of the human being is the will. Even the intellect depends on the will. I’ll give you examples. You can tell the difference between a great singer and a good singer. Somebody who’s a singer is going to immediately perceive when someone is a top-notch singer. What makes the difference? Is it the voice? Well, of course if you have a lousy voice, you can’t sing at all. But many people have good voices. What makes the difference? The will. How can i say that? I read about famous singers, who, when they perform, put so much of themselves into (the performance) that sometimes they lose up to 4 pounds for one performance. Such an effort they put into it. It’s the same thing that distinguishes a top-notch actor. What makes the difference? When they give themselves totally and absolutely to (the task). I’ll give you an example. I heard Lucille Ball talking once. She said, “When i started, there were many girls who started with me. And many of the girls didn’t want to do what they thought were menial jobs, the menial things. ‘Aw,’ they thought, ‘It’s not for me! I don’t do that.’” (But Lucille Ball) said, “I was willing to do all the dirty work. If i had to appear in a scene and somebody would have to push a pie into my face i did it. If i had to go and throw myself on the floor and play the maid i did it. I was willing to go through anything.” Well, she went to the top. The others never did. What was the difference? The will. The will. She was totally dedicated to her profession. Well, the same thing happens with our dedication to God. It’s not important what we do for God. Sometimes we think it’s so important, right? But the important thing is how we dedicate ourselves to God. The will is the secret, the key to success. This will can be weak sometimes. Sometimes it can be difficult; sometimes it can be enthusiastic; sometimes it can be fervent. The will is there. Then, the will has no feelings in itself. But at the same time the will is not an enemy of feelings. The will controls feelings. It does not destroy feelings. But it does not allow us to be controlled by feelings. If feelings are the Navy, the will is the queen. She steers the boat into the right direction. Let’s pray to God that we do God’s will, and let’s renew our consecration of ourselves to God, whatever vows we have, every day. I’ll get up, like a good worker, at 4:30 in the morning. I’m ready to go to work and dedicate myself. Dedication. That’s what the saints did. They renewed their dedication to God every day. One way or another, they did it. One thing or another, they did it. They kept on working at it and in the end they met with success. But i’ll finish with this beautiful example from the life of St. Thomas Aquinas. His sister was a countess and she once traveled a long distance to see her very wise brother, the great theologian, so highly appreciated by the pope, to ask him, “Thomas, tell me what is necessary to be a saint?” She was expecting a long theological dissertation. Do you know what he answered? “Want it.” The will. If you want, you will be, but you have to want it. |