Meditation for January 9, Obedience

At the command of the angel, Joseph with Mary and Jesus went into Egypt. Now the angel appears again; it is time to return to Nazareth. They leave Egypt. The will of God is enough for them.

How do the Gospels sum up the thirty years Jesus spent in the company of Joseph and Mary? Jesus was obedient.

I have vowed to obey, to do at every moment what God asks because He asks it. Am I keeping my promise?

Before entering religion, the venerable Ursuline, Marie of the Incarnation, formerly Madame Martin, made a vow of obedience, but not like mine, that is determined by an Institute and according to a definite Rule. She bound herself by a double obligation: first, to carry out all the prescriptions of her confessor, who was fortunately a moderate and prudent man; second, to accede to all the demands, desires and caprices of her associates in all that was not contrary to the law of God.

This second form of subjection approaches heroism. We gain some insight into the meaning of this vow when we hear Mother remark casually, "God alone knows what suffering there was in this kind of obedience." Besides we can imagine that those to whom Marie Martin pledged herself, her brother-in-law and her sister, were unaware of her promise.

And I find it so hard to obey even though what is asked of me is less difficult and less unforeseen!
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Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)