From The Friars eLetter: Resignation

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Resignation One of the lessons that the Lord teaches Job, especially in Job chapter 9, is that resignation to Divine Providence is better than resistance and insistence. Resignation to God’s will always bears good fruit. And this is not just a giving up of trying to do things ‘my way’ because sometimes the situations we face in life are things we did not choose. This requires a positive and free surrender; a conscientious self-entrustment to Divine Providence. This sort of letting go is taken to a whole new level with Jesus in the picture. In Luke 9 Our Lord makes it clear that, unlike Elijah who allowed for the fulfillment of sacred family duties before having Elisha follow after him (1 Kings 19), the nature of the call of Jesus has a sacred primacy above everything and everyone else. Jesus is greater than Solomon; greater than Elijah; greater than Jonah; greater than the Temple. Jesus does not require from us cooperation, or commitment, or an agreement…Jesus demands everything. This is the only true and sure path to freedom, to have hands and a heart empty and ready for reception. Fr. Jacques Philippe shares a story in his book Called to Life about a woman who spoke to him once about how her entire life had completely fallen apart. Her fiancé just left her, someone in the family had just died and she had just lost heart job. Listening to her Fr. Jacques also noticed unforgiveness in her heart towards her own father. He focused on that. And when she was able to let go of that unforgiveness, everything else was manageable. This is the interior freedom that the children of God are called to live. God bless you, Fr. Sebastian Maria Kajko, C.F.R. St. Pio Friary Bradford, England We need your help! To make a donation click here