Loreene Zeno Koskey

Catholic author, speaker and consultant Dominick Albano addressed words of reassurance and encouragement to the members of St. Michael Catholic Church and others who tuned in to his virtual parish mission in March. For the second year in a row, the ongoing pandemic had altered the Marquette parish’s plans to bring Albano to town for an in-person gathering.

Nonetheless, Albano inspired listeners with his presentation called “Choosing Hope: A Lenten Parish Mission on Making Godly Choices.”

He started out by admitting, “The reality is we’re living right now in some tough times. Let’s just be honest about that. Some people have lost jobs. Some people have lost their lives, or they’ve gotten very sick, or we’re just separated from our loved ones . . . It can be hard right now in these times for people to feel hope.”

However, Albano quoted a biblical passage from the prophet Jeremiah that offers hope during these difficult times. “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope” (Jer 29:11).

We are faced with many choices every day. Most are inconsequential, such as, “Should we eat fish tonight or chicken? Should we take a walk early in the morning or later in the afternoon?”

On the other hand, there are times when we must make an important decision, and that’s where Albano pointed out, “We need a process for hearing the voice of God and choosing the hopeful future that he has in mind for us.” Albano then listed the nine steps to follow, including homework for each one, when faced with a momentous decision, like possibly changing jobs or moving to a different city.

Step 1: Open your mind to God. “Silence and solitude are essential to hearing the voice of God,” Albano said. He instructed listeners to write down a time and place where they can find that quietness and commit to spending 10 minutes with the Lord every day.

Step 2: Imagine the possibilities. “If you want to hear the voice of God, you have to dream,” Albano explained. His homework was to write down what you imagine is God’s dream for you in the area of your life that will be affected by your decision.

Step 3: Establish your priorities. Albano explained that prayerful decision making is intended for “…figuring out, ‘How do I make this important decision between two good things?'” But, he added, that’s not easy to do when you have competing priorities. His homework was to create a list of all the relevant priorities to be affected by your decision and then rank them according to their importance.

Step 4: Do some research. “It’s all about seeking knowledge,” Albano said. Ways to achieve this include reading relevant books, making a list of facts (not opinions) about the choices, consulting an expert, visiting and experiencing the situation, or looking for applicable references, case studies or reviews.

Step 5: Run the numbers. Albano’s advice was, “Don’t make a decision without first considering the cost.” He recommended that people write down and evaluate the different parts of their life that will be affected by the decision. He suggested drawing an upward arrow next to the areas that will improve with each choice and a downward arrow next to those that will be negatively affected by each choice.

Step 6: Get good advice. Albano said to seek honesty from those with whom you talk. “Avoid confirmation bias at all costs,” he cautioned. His homework was to write down 10 questions that you can ask people about your situation. Also note the names of those you can talk to, including a) friends, family, and trusted confidants, b) someone who doesn’t hold the same beliefs or values that you have, so that you can view the situation from a different perspective, c) someone who’s had to make a choice like yours, and d) someone who’s not emotionally invested in your decision.

Step 7: Do a pre-mortem. Saying, “We have to prepare for failure,” Albano added, “No matter what decision you make, it will not go according to plan.” Thus, he recommended that people pretend that they made the decision, then imagine the things that could have gone wrong six months later, and finally, analyze why they went wrong. Albano’s homework was to gather a few friends together, explain your pre-mortem exercise, and seek their input as to why they think things went wrong and how you can plan ahead to avoid those mistakes.

Step 8: Trust. Albano reminded his listeners to trust in the Lord. “God is going to support us in whatever choice that we make, so long as we are faithfully trusting in Him and praying about that decision and trying to make the best decision we can.” His homework was to pray the Thomas Merton Prayer of Abandonment.

Step 9: Go. Albano pointed out, “A lot of people love to discern, and they hate to decide.” However, he noted, “Deciding is the hard part, and at a certain point, you must go. You have to choose.” His homework was, “Make your choice.”

How long should a person take to finish this nine-step process? Albano suggested nine days, the period that the Church gives for the completion of a novena. But, of course, the process must be adapted to the individual’s own time frame. Regarding the decision itself, “At the end of the day, the best you can hope for is to be able to say you did the best you could,” Albano concluded.

Editor’s note: Loreene Zeno Koskey is a member of St. Michael Catholic Church in Marquette. Albano’s presentation was based on his book, “The Essential Guide to Prayerful Decision Making,” which can be found at www.DominickAlbano.com.