Thursday, April 20, 2017

Surrender



Our vocation is to belong to Jesus.  The easiest way and the simplest way of belonging is this:  the Holy Spirit makes us do that giving of self, that total surrender to God, without any reflection, without any counting the cost.  We call that “blind surrender.”  From:  Mother Theresa in Heart of Joy.
The whole of our life must come to that one word “yes.”  Yes to God: That is holiness.  We allow God to take from us whatever he wants and we accept whatever he gives with joy.  That is yes in action.
We must know exactly when we say yes to God what is in that yes.  Yes means “I surrender,” totally, fully, without any examination, “Is is all right?  Is it convenient?”  Our yes to God is without any reservations.
We are at Jesus’ disposal.  If He wants you to be sick in bed, if He wants you to proclaim his word in the street, that’s all right, everything is all right.  We must say, “I belong to You.  You can do whatever you like.”  And this is our strength and this is the joy of the Lord.
Total surrender to God must come in small details just as it comes in big details.  It’s nothing but that single word, “Yes, I accept whatever You give, and I give whatever You take.”  And this is just a simple way for us to be holy.
To be holy doesn’t mean to do extraordinary things, to understand big things, but it is a simple acceptance, because I have given myself to God, because I belong to him—my total surrender.  He could put me here.  He could put me there.  He can use me.  He can not use me.  It doesn’t matter because I belong so totally to Him that he can do just what He wants to do with me.
The first step to becoming holy is to will it.  St. Thomas says, “Sanctity consists in nothing else than a firm resolve, the heroic act of a soul abandoning herself to God.  By an upright will we love God, we choose God, we run toward God, we reach Him, we possess Him.”  O good, good will which transforms me into the image of God and make me like Him!
We are but instrument that God deigns to use; these instruments bring forth fruit in the measure that they are united to God…We obtain grace in proportion to our sanctity, to our fervor, and to our degree of union with our Lord.          From:  Mother Theresa in Heart of Joy.
That the cross will become heavy to carry will depend on how much we cling to our selves, rather than cling to Jesus.  His burden is “light.” If it feels heavy it is because we aren’t willing to change, to make choices, to grow.  Take advantage of the Opportunities to Grow in Your Faith.  It’s not too late to join an Opportunity!

No comments:

Post a Comment