“Human beings, in a certain sense, are unknown to themselves. Jesus Christ not only reveals God, but “fully reveals man to man”. (23) In Christ, God has reconciled the world to himself. All believers are called to bear witness to this; but it is up to you, men and women who have given your lives to art, to declare with all the wealth of your ingenuity that in Christ the world is redeemed: the human person is redeemed, the human body is redeemed, and the whole creation which, according to Saint Paul, “awaits impatiently the revelation of the children of God” (Rom 8:19), is redeemed. The creation awaits the revelation of the children of God also through art and in art. This is your task. Humanity in every age, and even today, looks to works of art to shed light upon its path and its destiny.”
Letter to Artists, 14
John 10:11-18
Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd.
A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.”
Surrendering to Beauty | Trust
Reflection by Tara Wright
Last week we imagined the Lord’s beautiful light illuminating for us the very best and very worst parts of ourselves. In His light, we also saw—even if just for a moment—the all-encompassing nature of the Lord’s sanctifying, glorifying power.
This week’s posture, surrender, hinges on that redemptive power. In order to stay in that place of wondrous “captivity,” we must surrender everything to Him. Surrendering means to give with abandon, trusting that somehow, He’ll use the gift of our life for His glory.
Sometimes “surrender” can feel like admitting defeat, failure, or loss. We might think of surrender in the context of battle—surrendering to an enemy. We fear that when we surrender something, it’s gone forever. But when it comes to spiritual surrender, we need to remember that God is not the enemy. God and man are intended to be friends. This can and should affect our understanding of what it means to “surrender.”
This week, we will focus on surrendering every part of our lives. We will trust in God’s friendship, and in His most Perfect Will, knowing that He will take care of us even in the midst of deep pain.
Lay Down My Life
In today’s Gospel, we’re invited to imagine Jesus as a shepherd who knows each of His sheep individually, intimately. He knows when they need to rest or drink water, or when they need a good haircut. He knows when they’re in danger. He knows, too, what it takes to protect them. If He needs to, He will save their lives by offering His own as a shield. He won’t run away.
“I will lay down my life for the sheep,” He says.
We are His sheep. He knows everything about us, and He will do anything for us. He’ll eventually even give up His life for us. By His example on Calvary, Christ shows us that sometimes we need to persist and struggle before we surrender. He climbed and fell. He bled and poured out. But he didn’t quit or say, “It’s not worth it.”
He died.
And He rose.
His rising redeemed the suffering and glorified the wounds. His death was “worth it,” because He did it for us. Now our sufferings can be redeemed, too. The Lord shows us that to surrender means to give of ourselves for the good of the other.
Not gone forever.
But what do we have to offer? Throughout this Stirred to Wonder program, we’ve concluded each day’s morning prayer by saying, “I lay this day with all my work, joys, and sorrows in your hands to redeem, mould, and shape into the masterpiece you desire.” These are just a few of the things we can offer to God. Our joys and thanksgivings, our tasks big and small. Even our suffering and sorrows can be gift to God and others.
In the Via Pulchritudinis, we read that “the voice of beauty helps open ourselves up to the light of truth and it lightens the human condition helping it seize the meaning of pain. In this way it helps the healing of these injuries” (Via Pulchritudinis, 11.3).
I’ve seen this in my own life, with my very deepest sufferings.
Jude was my first baby. When I found out I was pregnant with him, we told everyone. We could not help but share. My husband and I were overjoyed! And at 12 weeks, when we got his diagnosis of Trisomy 18, we told everyone about that, too. We believed in God’s plan for his life. We were afraid, but still we trusted.
I’ll never forget the moment I looked at the ultrasound screen and saw my little boy – so, so still. After sixteen weeks of carrying his body inside mine, I knew in that moment that he was gone. By God’s grace, we had the courage to talk about that with others, too. Other people, strangers even, expressed gratitude for my openness. By offering my experience, I helped them through theirs.
After Jude, I had my son, Becket. We shared the good news of his life early, too. I was determined not to let fear overshadow my pregnancy with him. Praise God, it was beautiful. He’s so beautiful.
After Becket, fear and doubt did creep into my heart. I didn’t tell anyone about Sarah Job until I was told I’d lose her.* I hid the depth of my pain from myself and others. I certainly didn’t offer it to God. I hardly talked to Him then. It’s hard to admit how much I didn’t believe in the Lord’s goodness during that time.
But even though I was reluctant to believe, he remained—remains—Good. After a short time, I became pregnant with Hope Colette. And though still afraid, I asked others for prayers. And when there was no little flutter of heartbeat on the ultrasound screen, I drove immediately to sit in Adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament. That was a change. I was angry, sure, but this time I took the pain to Him.
Now, with three little boys running around, the wounds left by the losses of my children remain. But they’re not empty.
Over time, and little by little, I’ve been able to surrender the pain of these losses to God. And, instead of gaping holes left by children now gone forever, my wounds have become sacred spaces for others. When friends, like my dear Erin, suffer losses like mine, I now have a resting place in my heart to give them.
“I can lay down my life,” He says, “and I have the power to raise it up again” (Jn 10:18).
God is not our enemy. He is our shepherd and our redeemer. In Him, the “human person is redeemed, the body is redeemed, and the whole creation...is redeemed” (Letter to Artists, 14). When we offer our lives (with our joys and sorrows) to Christ, he redeems us, too.
*Sara and Hope died before we even knew their gender. But we look forward to knowing them in the light of God’s love in the life to come.
Daily Living:
Ask before task. One simple way to surrender is to ask for guidance before launching into the day’s activities. Do I recognize the Shepherd’s voice? Do I listen for His guidance throughout my day?
Be honest. Admitting that we need a savior is not easy, but being honest about the parts of our lives we wall off is so important. Do I think of the Lord as my friend and guide? Do I trust His plan for my life? What parts of myself do I need him to redeem?
Beauty in suffering. It can be very difficult to see God in the midst of our suffering, but God reveals Himself to us through our crosses. What suffering have I endured in the past? Is there a time when I was able to fully surrender that pain to God? What did that look like? What suffering am I enduring now? How am I responding to it?
Surrender as gift. Surrendering is an act of love and a gift to God. What are the parts of my life that I can give to God as a gift and trust Him with the results?
Hope vs. Expectation. We can always expect God to provide for us. However, we cannot surrender something to Him while still holding onto our own plan and expectations for what He will do with our gift. Instead, we must have hope in His providence. Do I ever struggle to trust in and have hope in God? What can help me place hope higher than fear?
UP NEXT: Week 4: Daily Flow
