Trustful Surrender

It's amazing how events in our daily lives so often correspond with the readings from daily Mass. In today's Gospel reading from Mark 4:26-34, Jesus gives us the parable of the mustard seed. Jesus said to the crowds ,"To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade." This passage is very relevant to a conversation I had with my friend Jeff this morning after our men's prayer group meeting. Many of our interactions and discussions in this group center around the struggles of fully surrendering our lives to the will of God. This concept came from a small book called Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence: The Secret of Peace and Happiness by Rev. Fr. Saint-Jure ...

"For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother ." These words are from today's gospel reading and come from the third chapter of Mark. This was spoken by Jesus to the crowd that had gathered. Jesus tells us that we are all called to be heirs to the Kingdom of God. In order to be heirs, we must become part of the family of our Heavenly Father. We must be brothers, sisters,and mothers to Jesus in order to inherit the Kingdom. How do we become members of the Heavenly Family? Jesus simply states that we must do the will of God. In the words of St Francis De Sales, whose Feast Day is today, "So live wholly according to the spirit,... live sweetly and in peace. Be quite confident that God will help you, and in all that happens, rest in the arms of His Mercy and Fatherly goodness."

There is a prayer by Cardinal Mercier that I say as part of my morning prayers. I think it is fitting prayer to those who are striving to trustfully surrender to God's will. There are a few variations to this prayer out there, including a longer version. I will use the version written in Father's Manual , published by Aquinas Press. This manual, I will add, is a great guide to all fathers who want to lead their families to heaven. The prayer begins as follows: I am going to reveal to you a secret of sanctity and happiness. Everyday for five minutes, keep your imagination quiet, shut your eyes to all the things of the senses, and close your ears to all the sounds of earth, so as to be able to withdraw into the sanctuary of your baptized soul, which is a temple of the Holy Spirit, saying: O Holy Spirit, soul of my soul, I adore You. Enlighten, guide, strengthen, and console me. Tell me what I ought to do and command me to do it. I promise to be submissive in everything t...

Welcome to the Trustful Surrender Blog! Here we will present the stories of faithful Christians, both sinners and saints, who have chosen to trustfully surrender to God's Will in both the ordinary and extraordinary circumstances of life. From everyday encounters to life changing events. We will also highlight and reflect on quotes and passages from the Bible, Catechism of the Catholic Church, and writings of Catholic Apologists, Church Scholars, and especially the Saints. These offerings are intended to encourage and strengthen you as you make your faith journey.