In our modern world, many people have been seduced by the dark lie that it is impossible to know the will of God. This lie separates us from our essential purpose and leads us down the road to misery and despair. The bright truth is that God sent the Holy Spirit to guide us toward his will in every moment of every day.

Saint Juan Macias knew just how clear and powerful the will of God is—and he let it guide him on a life-changing journey.

Juan grew up orphaned, uneducated and very poor in a small village in southwest Spain. At the age of 16, Juan met a Dominican priest while attending Mass in a nearby village and was attracted to the idea of joining the Dominican Order. But it wasn’t until two decades later that it became statrlingly clear that this was God’s will for his life. 

When he opened his heart to the will of God, something wonderful happened to Juan. He began to experience appearances of his patron, St. John the Evangelist. And so it was that at age 35, Juan received a very clear call through St. John: he was to move to Lima, Peru and enter the Dominican order.

Juan had no idea how it would all work out when he reached Lima, but he dropped everything and went. The rest of his life was beautifully simple and deeply impactful. As a cooperative brother, he could not say Mass, so he worked as the doorman for the convent. He was responsible for receiving the poor and tending to their physical and spiritual needs. He was so full of joy and humility that many people converted because of his example. His legacy of impact is still remembered in Peru and the Dominican Order today. And it all started with the desire to do God’s will. 

So often, we believe lies about God’s will. But here’s the truth: God doesn’t want to control you, or manipulate you, or stifle you, or force you to do things you don’t want to do. If that were God’s desire, then he would not have given you free will. God wants you to become all you can be, and in the process he wants you to experience the greatest mystery of them all: love. God invites you to embark on the adventure of realizing your unimagined potential. 

This is the adventure of salvation, and we make this journey by learning to love God, neighbor, self, and, indeed, life. This is the journey of the soul and the quest for love. This is the great task life lays before us.



Feast Day: September 18

Feast Day Shared By: Saint Joseph of Cupertino and Saint Sophia

Symbols: A Rosary

Canonized: 1975

Canonized By: Pope Paul VI