Vol. 3, No. 2, April, 1998
Letting Jesus Be Lord!by Sr. Brigid Meierotto, S.N.C.
This is the seventh in a series of articles entitled: "You Are Invited to a Profound Interior Renewal." We repeat the quote from the Vatican II Decree on the Church's Missionary Activity:
"Since the whole Church is missionary, and the work of evangelization the fundamental task of the people of God, this Sacred Synod invites all to undertake a profound interior renewal so that being vitally conscious of their responsibility for the spread of the Gospel they might play their part in missionary work among the nations" (*35, Decree on the Church's Missionary Activity).
In the fall issue of MY WITNESSES, we reflected on the fruit of peace that we experience in our lives and that we give to others, as we strive to live our faith in the power of the Spirit.
Another "fruit" of living a life of faith is sight. Faith gives us new eyes, a new way of seeing. A person of faith is a seer, one who sees beyond the surface of things, beyond the superficial and into the deep heart of the matter.
In living a life of faith, we gradually experience the scales falling from our spiritual eyes. Slowly the light begins to dawn, driving away the darkness and enabling the eyes of our hearts to see. As St. Paul says in Ephesians 1:16-18b:
"I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you spirit of wisdon and revelation in knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened... "Do our hearts really see? They must see in order to make the right choices that face us in our daily lives. To let Jesus be Lord in my life is to surrender to the wisdon, the understanding, the knowledge, the counsel, the piety, the power and the reverential fear of the Lord. This surrender enables me to see the choice that is in accord with living out the Gospel, with bearing fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23); with being Jesus and bringing Jesus to those around me. This new way of seeing in regard to making choices in our daily lives becomes more and more possible to us as we grow in surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. Surrender gives us freedom of heart, both to say "no" to the selfish desires that threaten to imprison us in their grip, and to say "yes" to the will of the Father. "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). This sixth beatitude is talking about surrender, a surrender to God that brings "sight". Faith, our personal love relationship with jesus brigs us to purity of heart, to willing only one thing, as Jesus did. What was jesus' will, His desire? To do the will of the Father, to please the Father in all things. With the eyes of a pure heart we are able to see God! Where? Everywhere! In all created things, in each person, in every event, in all our experiences, in all our relationships. As Paul tells us in Romans 8:28, "We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose." Perhaps, as we go through our day, we are involved in many happenings that are neutral, or so we think. Maybe we don't perceive them as having any relationship to the Lord; they are not necessarily good or bad. When we are aware of the action of the Holy Spirit within us, nothing happens by accident. After all, the Lord is Lord! Pray to have "the eyes of your hearts enlightened, " because "in everything God works for good with those who love him..." Let us be bold and persistent in making our request of Jesus as Bartimaeus was: "And they came to Jericho; and as he (Jesus) was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude, Bartimaeus, a blind begger, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!' And Jesus stopped and said, 'Call him.' And they called the blind man, saying to him 'Take heart; rise, he is calling you.' And throwing off his mantle he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, 'What do you want me to do for you?' And the blind man said to him, 'Master, let me receive my sight.' And Jesus said to him, 'Go your way; your faith has made you well.' And immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way" (Mk. 10:46-52). MEETING THE LORD JESUS Here are some helps to make this reflection a real and meaningful experience in you life; First: Read the article one more time. Pick our that thought that awakens the eyes of your heart. Second: Prepare yourself for prayer. Stand before the Father, realizing that He looks upon you and loves you. Pray the Our Father. Pray: "Most loving Father, in the name of Jesus our Lord, I beg you to fill me with your Holy Spirit that my imagination, my memory, my thoughts, the intentions of my will, my whole person be for your praise." Third: Take your Bible or this article and slowly read Mk. 10:46-52. Hear the Lord Jesus ask you personally: "What do you want me to do for you?" Write out your answer here: Fourth: Now choose your answers to the following questions:
- The last time I cried out to the Lord to have mercy on me:
a) was so long ago I can't remember
b) nothing happened
c) I saw His love surround me in a new way
d) other ____________________________ - The way I have experienced faith giving me a new way of seeing is:
a) The Bible, the Sacred Word, has whole new meaning for me
b) I wait to see the good that will come out of my daily hardships
c) I have the wisdon, to see the will of the Father in my choices
d) other ____________________________ - in order for me to follow Jesus in His way, I need to:
a) ask for His Spirit so that I might have the eyes of my heart enlightened
b) get some order into my daily life
c) put aside my fears and doubts
d) other ____________________________
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