POEM:
Surrendering
By:
Eric Gajewski
Few souls understand what God would accomplish
in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him and if they were
to allow His grace to mold them accordingly.” — St. Ignatius Loyola
Here is my latest poem from the work, "Fortress of the Soul"
Press play and listen as you read...
How much do you love Me?
I catch a glimpse of His Face
Pressing onward inwardly as a Soldier
On this treacherous path of doubt and worry
I grow weary as the desolation takes ahold
For, I too, thirst and the world gave me vinegar
Yet it only brought my heart closer to Thee
O’ how uponst the sight of suffering
Our feet of nature seek to run away so quickly
But it is Love’s secret which once whispered bravely
Shown in great Passion...
For Love suffered for me cruelly and violently
Do ye boldly proclaim this same Love publicly?
Do ye long to be trained by His Heart
And to profess to grow in virtue and sanctity?
And Wisdom replieth, “Then embrace Your Cross affectionately!”
Draw close to Calvary and let the dark pierce your being
And follow the traces of the steps of His Heart
Which can be seen on the ground bleeding
Yea, the flesh is weak and will groan
Even wilst the spirit maybe willing
But this is our fight…
For the reason why Christianity is dying
Is because we are losing this battle within
Nay, hear an eagle confessing…
For my heart is stone, O’ Lord
Wilst Your hands are firm
And the only Who can caress me so gently
Lo, I hear the Wind again whisper vehemently
"My son, The secret of My Heart is found inward and quietly
But do you love Me for Me? Or is
it all for show?
Are you ready to deny thy own Will sufficiently?
That I might work in thee? I am
waiting patiently…
I am waiting for you to exchange all that you have
Because I alone am your Everything…
Yea, I, too was led out into the desert knowingly
I too walked upon the sands of temptation
Thus did you think that you would escape these same things?
For I, Uncreated Love Who is everlasting
Seek to become one with you the created
And in your desolation you will come to know you are nothing
For those who exclaim “thy Will be done” shall inherit my Heart
And shall have as their reward Eternity…
Wilst those who pursue comfort and find in this world a false treasure
Shall collect “fools gold” and shall end in death
Separated from my Mercy…
Yea, now is your opportunity!
Run to Me, Run to Me, Run to Me!
For when men shout “impossibility”
A smile rains down and my grace takes over
For those who surrender and are trusting"
Yea, I see this O’ Lord with the eyes of an eagle in Charity
For no eagle can be seen flying about this desert
Unless he hast the wings of Faith and Hope
Unless, by His own Will
He decide to take off from the cliffs of self, freely
I must be seen by the world and even unto your own as "crazy"
I must be seen by the world and even unto your own as "crazy"
Lo, to Love Thee for Thee alone
Is a lifelong process
It is a heart’s journey not understood by the recitation of a poem
For who would serve if he was never consoled?
And Wisdom replieth, “ The man who loves disinterestedly”
For God does not fill until He first sees that the glass is empty
O’ who does seek this spiritual marriage?
This road of nothingness so perfectly?
Paved out by humility and simplicity?
And Wisdom replieth, “It is the
heart who loves Him for Him alone"
For loving the gifts alone will evoke His jealousy”
Yea, every heart must be tested, tried and found true
For our hearts wilst not rest until our bed is made in You
For everyday I shall ask for the desire to love Thee more
Even than the day before…
But...Remember, My son, surrender not to the enemy
And only unite unto My Heart where you will find true liberty
For My way is not yours…
I AM above and all around, all encompassing
So after telling you these secrets of My Love
Wilst thou now give me yourself wholly?
Lord what wilt Thou have me do? Behold the
true sign of a totally perfect soul: when one has reached the point of giving
up his will so completely that he no longer seeks , expects or desires to do
ought but that which God wills.
--St. Bernard
"You well know that I preferred his company to all the delights of the world. But since it has pleased You to take him from me, I accept Your will completely."
--St. Elizabeth (On the death of her husband)
A soul who is really resigned to God's will does not become attached to any created thing because he sees clearly that all things are nothing except God.
--Blessed Henry Susone
'All that the beginner in prayer has to do -- and you must not forget this, for it is very important -- is to labour and be resolute and prepare himself with all possible diligence to bring his will into conformity with the will of God. As I shall say later, you may be quite sure that this comprises the very greatest perfection which can be attained on the spiritual road.'
--St. Teresa of Jesus
'More determination is required to subdue the interior man than to mortify the body; and to break one's will than to break one's bones.'
--St. Ignatius of Loyola
I desire to suffer always and not to die. I should add: this is not my will, it is my inclination. It is sweet to think of Jesus; but it is sweeter to do His will.
--Bl Mary of Jesus Crucified "The Little Arab"
The goal of all our undertakings should be not so much a task perfectly completed as the accomplishment of the will of God.
--St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face
"Perfection is founded entirely on the love of God: ‘Charity is the bond of perfection;’ and perfect love of God means the complete union of our will with God’s."
--St. Alphonsus de Ligouri
I will attempt day by day to break my will into pieces. I want to do God's Holy Will, not my own!
--Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother
God wills only our good; God loves us more than anybody else can or does love us. His will is that no one should lose his soul, that everyone should save and sanctify his soul: “Not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance[49].” “This is the will of God, your sanctification[50].” God has made the attainment of our happiness, his glory. Even chastisements come to us, not to crush us, but to make us mend our ways and save our souls.
--St. Alphonsus de Ligouri
Here the will of God is done, as God wills, and as long as God wills.
--Saint Gerard Majella
If, devout soul, it is your will to please God and live a life of serenity in this world, unite yourself always and in all things to the divine will. Reflect that all the sins of your past wicked life happened because you wandered from the path of God’s will.
--St. Alphonsus de Ligouri
The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner he wills it; and thirdly to do it because it is his will.
--Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
During our sojourn in this world, we should learn from the saints now in heaven, how to love God. The pure and perfect love of God they enjoy there, consists in uniting themselves perfectly to his will. It would be the greatest delight of the seraphs to pile up sand on the seashore or to pull weeds in a garden for all eternity, if they found out such was God’s will. Our Lord himself teaches us to ask to do the will of God on earth as the saints do it in heaven: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven[12].”
--St. Alphonsus de Ligouri
--St. Bernard
"You well know that I preferred his company to all the delights of the world. But since it has pleased You to take him from me, I accept Your will completely."
--St. Elizabeth (On the death of her husband)
A soul who is really resigned to God's will does not become attached to any created thing because he sees clearly that all things are nothing except God.
--Blessed Henry Susone
'All that the beginner in prayer has to do -- and you must not forget this, for it is very important -- is to labour and be resolute and prepare himself with all possible diligence to bring his will into conformity with the will of God. As I shall say later, you may be quite sure that this comprises the very greatest perfection which can be attained on the spiritual road.'
--St. Teresa of Jesus
'More determination is required to subdue the interior man than to mortify the body; and to break one's will than to break one's bones.'
--St. Ignatius of Loyola
I desire to suffer always and not to die. I should add: this is not my will, it is my inclination. It is sweet to think of Jesus; but it is sweeter to do His will.
--Bl Mary of Jesus Crucified "The Little Arab"
The goal of all our undertakings should be not so much a task perfectly completed as the accomplishment of the will of God.
--St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face
"Perfection is founded entirely on the love of God: ‘Charity is the bond of perfection;’ and perfect love of God means the complete union of our will with God’s."
--St. Alphonsus de Ligouri
I will attempt day by day to break my will into pieces. I want to do God's Holy Will, not my own!
--Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother
God wills only our good; God loves us more than anybody else can or does love us. His will is that no one should lose his soul, that everyone should save and sanctify his soul: “Not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance[49].” “This is the will of God, your sanctification[50].” God has made the attainment of our happiness, his glory. Even chastisements come to us, not to crush us, but to make us mend our ways and save our souls.
--St. Alphonsus de Ligouri
Here the will of God is done, as God wills, and as long as God wills.
--Saint Gerard Majella
If, devout soul, it is your will to please God and live a life of serenity in this world, unite yourself always and in all things to the divine will. Reflect that all the sins of your past wicked life happened because you wandered from the path of God’s will.
--St. Alphonsus de Ligouri
The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner he wills it; and thirdly to do it because it is his will.
--Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
During our sojourn in this world, we should learn from the saints now in heaven, how to love God. The pure and perfect love of God they enjoy there, consists in uniting themselves perfectly to his will. It would be the greatest delight of the seraphs to pile up sand on the seashore or to pull weeds in a garden for all eternity, if they found out such was God’s will. Our Lord himself teaches us to ask to do the will of God on earth as the saints do it in heaven: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven[12].”
--St. Alphonsus de Ligouri
"We can only learn to know ourselves
and do what we can - namely, surrender our will and fulfill God's will in
us."
--Saint Teresa of Avila
”Every creature, whether it will or not, is subject to the one God and Lord; but a warning is given to us, to serve the Lord with our whole will, because the just man serves Him willingly, but the unjust serves Him as a slave.”
--Saint Augustine
A man makes the most progress and merits the most grace precisely in those matters wherein he gains the greatest victories over self and most mortifies his will.
--St. Francis de Sales
--Saint Teresa of Avila
”Every creature, whether it will or not, is subject to the one God and Lord; but a warning is given to us, to serve the Lord with our whole will, because the just man serves Him willingly, but the unjust serves Him as a slave.”
--Saint Augustine
A man makes the most progress and merits the most grace precisely in those matters wherein he gains the greatest victories over self and most mortifies his will.
--St. Francis de Sales
“Let your door stand open to receive
Him, unlock your soul to Him, offer Him a welcome in your mind, and then you
will see the riches of simplicity, the treasures of peace, the joy of grace.
Throw wide the gate of your heart, stand before the sun of the everlasting
light…” — St. Ambrose
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