THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Humbly Surrender to God

I must admit that I struggled to start writing a reflection on today’s readings.  I pondered, why this struggle?  Bringing my struggle to God, I could tell in my heart that my initial prayers to the Lord were shallow.  I decided to continue in prayer despite an immense feeling of spiritual aridity.  

Then God answered; the Holy Spirit gently moved my heart, and the words “Humbly Surrender to God” poured forth and echoed from inside my heart.  These words struck fear through my heart and soul since I realized that the Lord was pointing out to me that I had fallen back into the trap of my ego, the other person within me who wants to control my life for self-gratification.  Clearly, God wanted me to turn back to Him and heed His message with my heart.  

This message from the Holy Spirit also directly applies to today’s readings, which God invites us to reflect on.  In the Gospel reading, Jesus says to His apostles, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matt 10:39). Jesus is teaching us here to imitate His humility and surrender our life to God’s plan for our salvation.  St Paul in the second reading, points out that by being baptized into Jesus Christ, that through Christ’s humility and surrendering to His Father’s will by dying on the cross, we are now dead to sin and live a new life.  Finally, the first reading from the second book of Kings gives us an excellent example of humility, surrendering, and the act of charity which pleases God.  There we read the story of the Shunammite woman of influence inviting and opening her home to the prophet Elisha without expecting anything in return.  For her humbleness and charitable acts, she is eventually rewarded by God with a child.  

When we humbly surrender to God’s will, our hearts will be filled with joy and fulfillment.  “For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory” (Psalm 149:4).

–Chris Rischmiller

Send Us Forth are reflections written by St. Matthew parishioners and friends.