I was wondering what to do.

You are no good at this. Your writing quality is like a Whatsapp or Facebook post.

The words ring in me and make me despondent.

“Lord, take this away from me – this need to spill words out in writing about You, if this is Your will,” I implore Him. “I do not want to do mediocre work for You.”

I take my problem to a kindly, senior Franciscan Friar who I lean on for spiritual guidance in my writings. “Do not worry, continue on this path,” he tells me, adding, “the Lord will show you the way forward.”

The same sentiments are echoed by a friend who always gives me valuable feedback on my writing drafts. “Continue writing,” she tells me.

All this is not enough.

I ask the Lord to give me a sign if He wants me to continue down this path, much like Gideon asked the Lord in Judges 6:11-24. Miraculously, within a week of my plea to Him, doors open and I am able to find multiple opportunities (including this publication) in which the editors take my submissions and publish them regularly.  I feel validated by Him, able to continue down this path.

And what is this path that I am on? It is the path of a Catholic writer – a rather narrow and hard one, where neither earthly fame nor fortune awaits.

One may have a blazing hearth in one’s soul and yet no one ever came to sit by it. Passers-by see only a wisp of smoke from the chimney and continue on their way. – Vincent Van Gogh

This quote seems applicable to writers.  One gets glimpses of their souls through the wisps of smoke that emanate from the chimneys of their writings.  Writing is an intensely personal, solitary activity.  It is frustrating at times and yet incredibly rewarding for those who can stay on the path of writing, with all its twists and turns.

Writing is an activity that one can lose touch with very quickly if it is not done regularly. The mind can lose the ability to string a coherent sequence of words together if there is physical or mental lethargy. The various writing challenges that one accepts each month or even each day, and the satisfaction in completing each task makes one feel good.

I realize that I can choose to let an opportunity to write pass me by when I see it or I can accept the challenge and grow from it.  I find that I need to embrace the pain to start the path of growth.

I have also found that my openness to vulnerability is reflected in my writing and touches a chord in the reader. Perhaps this is why it is so important to discover a unique voice, as the senior writers who have guided me have told me. Through various writing activities over the years, I think I can now express my own unique voice through what I write.

I have chosen to write in the Christian, specifically Catholic genre of Faith/Spirituality. I am aware that this is a very narrow area of focus and that the market for my work is therefore limited. The habit of reading in general is diminishing and there are few Catholic writers and even fewer serious forums for these writers where a Catholic author can submit their work to be read by discerning readers.

Thus, it is often a lonely and hard path.  Therefore it is quite encouraging to note the Holy Father Pope Leos’ words to Catholic Digital Missionaries and Influencers, held on July 29, 2025.  He said:

Jesus called his first apostles while they were mending their fishing nets (cf. Mt 4:21-22). He asks the same of us today. Indeed, he asks us to weave other nets: networks of relationships, of love, of gratuitous sharing where friendship is profound and authentic; networks where we can mend what has been broken, heal from loneliness, not focus on the number of followers, but experience the greatness of infinite Love in every encounter; networks that give space to others more than to ourselves, where no “bubble” can silence the voices of the weakest; networks that liberate and save; networks that help us rediscover the beauty of looking into each other’s eyes; networks of truth. In this way, every story of shared goodness will be a knot in a single, immense network: the network of networks, the network of God.

Be agents of communion, capable of breaking down the logic of division and polarization, of individualism and egocentrism. Centre yourselves on Christ, so as to overcome the logic of the world, of fake news, of frivolity, with the beauty and light of Truth (cf. Jn 8:31-32).

Wow! Powerful words that encourage me! What do I hope to achieve by continuing to pursue this discipline of writing in the Christian (Catholic) genre?  Certainly, I will never be a William Shakespeare (highest selling author of all time), but I feel good when I write and if just one person is inspired to read an article – maybe even a book – because of something that I have written, then I feel I have made a difference, a footprint on the sands of the life that passes by us with great intensity, day after day.  Finally, all too soon, our time here will be up.  And what we leave behind will be our words – the whisps of smoke from our chimneys.

In summary, pondering the following words gives me great clarity on the way forward:

If you write for God you will reach many men and bring them joy. If you write for men–you may make some money and you may give someone a little joy and you may make a noise in the world, for a little while. If you write for yourself, you can read what you yourself have written and after ten minutes you will be so disgusted that you will wish that you were dead. ― Thomas Merton, Seeds of Contemplation

I wish to write for God.

“Help me God, use me as Your instrument and let me make others know You through the writings You inspire me to create. Amen.”

Image: “Our Daily Challenge: Celebrate The Commo” (CC BY-ND 2.0) by *•.¸♡ Sυҽ90ƈα ♡¸.•*

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