Climbing Every Mountain and Trying to Do the Lord's Will

If you were to ask me to quote the entirety of the film "The Sound of Music" from memory, I probably could.

Throughout my years as a child, teen, young adult, and now not-so-young adult, I've found that there are few stories so full of goodness as that of the true story of Maria Von Trapp, her husband Georg, and their family as they found their vocation together and escaped the Nazi takeover of Austria in the 1930s.

Although parts of the film are certainly embellished for the sake of the audience, I find that there is so much to be gleaned from the trajectory of the Von Trapp story. In one of my favorite parts of the film, the Mother Abbess counsels Maria as she discerns her vocation at the convent:

"What is the most important lesson you have learned here, my child?" the Abbess asks.

She responds, "To find out what is the will of God, and to do it wholeheartedly."

Maria knew, just like the Psalmist in today's Reading knew, that the love of the Father has an unfathomable calling on our lives. They knew that He gives us the grace to do His will, and to do it wholeheartedly, even when the way seems uncertain (see Psalm 40:2-10).

Most people don't know that beyond the warmth and fuzziness of the film, Maria's true life story was never easy. She became an orphan at age ten. She thought for certain she was called to religious life but discovered instead that she was meant for marriage. Her real life family story was fraught with uncertainty—especially as they endured financial ruin, immigrated to the United States, and tried to make a living for themselves.

Maria believed, like the Psalmist, that to discover the will of God and do it wholeheartedly was at the very core of her existence. May we pray today with our dearly departed Maria and with the words of the Psalmist, "Here I am, Lord: I come to do your will."

Find out what is the will of God. // Karen SchultzClick to tweet

Take a few moments to quiet your heart in prayer today and set before the Lord this question: what is Your will for my life?

Karen Schultz hails from the Land of 10,000 lakes, where she is often found in or near one of them. As a doula, lactation educator, and FertilityCare Practitioner, she finds joy in helping women to embrace the gift of their bodies. Downtime is found in quiet adoration chapels, farmers markets and gardens, listening to bluegrass music, and embracing the diversity of Minnesota’s seasons. She is a contributing author to our Works of Mercy Study: Misericordia. You can find out more about her here.