Prayer to know God’s Will
May it please the supreme and divine Goodness
to give us all abundant grace
ever to know his most holy will
and perfectly to fulfill it.
—St. Ignatius of Loyola
More often than not, we tend to associate God’s will as something we could really adhere to, even obey. What I’ve learned recently is that even deeper than God’s will as a command is God’s will as Truth — a perfect Truth that longs to be fulfilled. Denial of God’s plan is not merely an act of disobedience, but a blind eye from what is – perfect, beautiful, and true.
In Exodus 3:14, God reveals himself to Moses, “I am who I am”. The divine Truth simply is. When we say “non serviam” in our work, it does not change the nature of God’s will. We are making the conscious choice to close our eyes from divine Truth, yet it does not cease to exist. God’s will is perfection in it’s highest form, and when we open our eyes, ears, hearts, to that very Truth, we are graced with glimpses of God’s goodness. We are made free.
“and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:32
A brother once told me that the image of Truth manifested in the physical is our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. It encompasses all that is perfect, beautiful, and true — compassion, sorrow, love, suffering, sacrifice, forgiveness and so much more. Yes, it may be easy to close ourselves to God’s will, yet in those times of desolation, he has given us an image in the crucifixion to remind us of our alpha and omega here on Earth – dying for the sake of love. Remember, too, that honourable as it is to die a martyr’s death, is also to live a martyrs life.
“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21
Christ on the cross is the ultimate example of a heart faithfully abondoning itself to Father God – totally, faithfully, freely, fruitfully. I can only hope and pray that, through constant mortification and sanctification through grace, and consecration to our Blessed Lady, I will be the man that God had intended only because of my total reliance on the Lord and openness to the Truth. I will be one who answers You and I will respond in the only way I know that is true – by loving You with all of me, God-willing.
Totus Tuus