Thursday, February 4, 2016

Trusting in the Lord

In today's Gospel, Mark 6: 7-13, Jesus sends his Twelve Chosen apostles out to spread good news of the Kingdom, healing the sick, casting out demons and sharing peace to all with whom  they came in contact. If their message was not received, if they were not welcome, they were to move on to another place.  Jesus also instructed them to take nothing with them: no food, no money, no sack, no extra clothing but only a walking stick.

Sometimes God seems to make the decision for us; that is, that we enter a given day with nothing to take with us. Simply stated, we do not have the strength to participate in an active ministry or to be productive in the ways we would like to be productive.

As I complained to Jesus about this reality in my life--not having the energy or the motivation to accomplish what I want to accomplish--God instructed me as follows:

     "Your powerlessness is My strength. I don't ask for productivity from you. I ask for surrender.
     You are not the minister right now but the one to whom I am ministering.

     "Where you are weak, I am strong--a strength that is invisible and most times unfelt.
     Faith is all you have.  
     Faith in my love for you.
     Faith in my presence (invisible).
     Faith in my mercy.

"Where you feel powerless, I am powerful!  My power is not power in the human sense but in the divine sense: the power of Jesus surrendering to His executioners (your executioner right now is loss of energy), Jesus surrendering to physical death and to resurrection from the dead (resurrection from energy loss will be forthcoming for you--trust me), Jesus believing in Me, hoping in Me, loving Me and being obedient to My Will. That is what I ask of you in the circumstances of your life  right now!"
 


5 comments:

  1. The simple surrender can seem so hard but it's the only way for Christ to work through us. Thank you, Sr. Dorothy

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    1. It is difficult, Liz! But I was so grateful for Jesus' response! His presence is so real in prayer times like this one.

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  2. I really like the message of this piece. It is one I would like to carry with me when I head out on hospital ministry.

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    1. Feel free to use it in your ministry. So many sick and/or elderly individuals, I believe, experience this!

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  3. I really like the message of this piece. It is one I would like to carry with me when I head out on hospital ministry.

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