Saturday, March 15, 2008

Meditation for March 16, The Master Key

The evening of Palm Sunday, St. Gertrude was meditating on the reception Mary, Martha and Lazarus had given to Our Lord at Bethany; and she was carried away with the desire to offer to Our Savior an ardent welcome to her heart.

Then suddenly Jesus manifested Himself to her, saying, "Here I am! What do wish to give me?"

"Oh!" replied Gertrude, "welcome, Solace of my soul, my only Treasure. Alas! I have prepared nothing suitable for Your great­ness, but I offer You my whole being, asking that You prepare in me what would be most pleasing to Your Heart."

"Since you give Me the liberty, I will do it," answered Our Lord, "but you will have to give me the key that My hand may be able to open your heart and dispose of whatsoever I wish."

"What is this key that I must give you?" asked the Saint. "It is," answered Jesus, "your will."

Submit your will; that is the key which permits Our Lord to give Himself as He wishes to the religious soul; he who gives the key to the apartment gives the whole apartment; the one who gives his will reserves nothing for himself.

"Lord Jesus, You know that like St. Gertrude, I want You to be the sole and sovereign Master of my being. I offer You my poor will with all its possibilities, with all its power of enthusiasm, as well as its fear of making a complete gift and its instinctive tendency to hold back.

You know where to find the key; take it Yourself; may there no longer be anything in me which belongs to me; may I belong entirely to You. O my Good Master, be a real Master to me."
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Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)

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