Let’s cut to the heart of the matter and each and every one of us ask the most important question of our lives: Am I giving to Jesus what He is asking of me?
Am I giving or holding back what I deep down inside know He wants of me? Is it sacrifice He wants? Greater generosity? Patience? A serious surrender of self-will?
I pray earnestly for you that you will realize what it is that Jesus wants most from you in your spiritual life. And I pray too that once you know you will gather enough courage to give what Jesus wants this very day. May the Lord bestow a special grace to enlighten and strengthen you to follow Him better, and give yourself to Him in the way He wants at this very moment.
Jesus says to us that if we love Him we are to keep the Commandments. This is the first offering we are to make, a moral upright life, avoiding sin. Jesus says to us that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. We therefore must go out of our way and give up some of the time we set aside for ourselves and give it in the service of those next to us in need. Jesus says also that if we truly love Him we are to pick up our cross and follow Him. We are to therefore offer Him the things in our lives that we don’t like and give us pain, by joyfully accepting them from God’s Hands.
I say that I have given my life to God, but unless this offering of myself leaves it’s impact in my daily life, from hour to hour, how much of what I say is true in reality, and how much , only words? Remember that Our Lord said that not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” will enter into heaven, but only those who do the Father’s will. Yes, only those who do it, in their lives day by day.
Am I preaching to you? No, I am preaching to myself. I beg for your prayers that I may first of all live well what Jesus teaches, and live well what I teach others.
Every morning when I go into the chapel I do pray for you. I remember so many of your faces and I speak with Jesus about you. At my daily Mass and Communion you are there. I know that at times it can be very difficult to live the Faith as we should. It’s for this reason we need each other, to encourage, support, and build each other up by prayer above all else.
I promise to pray for you every day. Don’t forget that! Especially. remember it in your times of difficulty, that you have a priest, a good friend, every day speaking with Jesus about your needs.
Give yourself to Jesus today. Renew your commitment to Him. Don’t be afraid of what He asks of you. He loves you and knows what is best for you. Trust in Him!
Fr. Sullivan, M.J., is a priest with the Miles Jesu order. Miles Jesu is an Institute of Consecrated Life dedicated to promoting reverence to the Blessed Sacrament, devotion to Our Lady and faithfulness to the official teachings of the Church. For information on Miles Jesu and its Seminary Program, please call 1-800-654-7945 or visit their website.
