First, an admission: My spiritual counsel is sometimes thematic.

For weeks at a time, often related to the liturgical season or the readings for Mass, I see things through a particular prism. The advice I give is shaped by the story in my head, even as I respond - faithfully, I hope - to the person in front of me.

You knew that? Okay.

An important theme for me recently has been about life’s drama. The question I have been asking people to consider is, “Who is the author of this play?” Is God the author of your life or are you?

How we answer that question makes a world of difference.

(Yes, I was pretty excited to see the above picture on my Facebook feed this past week.)

If I am the author of my life, then I am to blame when things go wrong. If I’m directing the play, I have a lot of problems to solve, not least among them the many actors I need to whip into shape.

If God is in charge, however, I am freed from the load. Being a character in his story, it’s just mine to follow the script. The rest - all of the rest - is his responsibility.

The stage direction he gives is simple. Maybe that’s what makes it so challenging. The very best we can do at any time and in any place is to be faithful to him: to bring his love to life as the particular situation demands. This is where peace and purpose are to be found.