My disposition: Surrender or Manipulation?

WORD 2day: 30th December, 2017

Saturday within Christmas Octave
1 Jn 2: 12-17; Lk 2: 36-40

World or things of the world as opposed to the love of the Father: by now it is considered an outdated way of thinking. Indeed the dichotomy that is involved and implied is a bit old fashioned but the difference between the two choices, is real and concrete. Even our prayer for example could have within itself hidden a tendency of giving more importance to the world and the things of the world instead of our love for God our Father and Mother. 

Once I was involved with a group, in a last minute preparation going on for a mega event, while unfortunately there was a forecast of a likely cyclone showers! Immediately a group got down to pray and say, 'please stop the rain'! Praying here is something wonderful, but a subtle point to be noted here is: how prepared are we to accept the will of God in things that we have planned; instead of asking the Lord to adjust to our designs?

Whoever does the will of God remains for ever, reminds St. John in his epistle today (v.17). Prophetess Anna, or even Prophet Simeon for that matter, waited for years together, in relentless patience towards the will of God. There is always this challenge before us - whether to pray for the light to know what exactly to do and do it or to do whatever we can and then start praying that things adjust to favour us! What is worthy of a child of God: surrender or manipulation?

Can we really abandon ourselves to the will of God: a surrender so beautifully symbolised by the Divine Kid in the manger these days!