A true servant of God is not merely Lone who seeks to know the will of the Lord, but one who, with unwavering trust and humility, embraces it and acts upon it. This is the essence of discipleship: to echo the words of Christ in Gethsemane “Not my will, but yours be done” (Lk 22:42). It is a sacred journey from self-will to surrender, from personal ambition to divine alignment.
The Gift of the Holy Spirit: Our Divine Compass
Left to our own devices, our human intellect though a gift from God-is limited and prone to error. We often. mistake our desires for divine direction. But in His infinite mercy, God does not leave us to wander blindly. He bestows upon the faithful the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, who “guides us into all
Rev Fr George Panackal VC
truth” (Jn 16:13). It is the Spirit who illuminates the path of righteousness, who whispers the Father’s will into the depths of our hearts, and who teaches us to pray not as we ought, but as we must (cf. Rom 8:26).
Every authentic prayer that seeks to discern God’s will is already a fruit of the Spirit’s prompting. When we surrender our ego and earnestly desire to know what pleases the Lord, the Spirit intercedes, reshaping our intentions and aligning our hearts with the divine rhythm of grace.
Prayer: A School of Surrender
Let us pause and examine ourselves with honesty and courage: Are we still clinging to our own blueprints for life, or are we truly inviting the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s design for us?Prayer, in its truest form, is not a transaction but a transformation. It is not a spiritual shopping list, but a sacred dialogue a lifting of the heart to God, as St. Thérèse of Lisieux described. The turning point in our spiritual maturity comes when we cease to pray merely for what we want, and begin to pray for what God wants for us. This is the prayer of the saints, the prayer that says, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (I Sam 3:10).
When we resist this surrender, our prayer life can become stagnant, revolving around our own desires. Selfishness, like a subtle weed, begins to choke the life out of our spiritual garden. But when we lay down our plans and open ourselves to God’s providence, we discover a peace that surpasses all understanding (cf. Phil 4:7) a peace that comes not from control, but from trust.
True Blessing: Beyond Earthly Success
It is a common misconception-even among the devout that divine favour is proven by the fulfilment of personal goals. “God is good,” we say, “because He gave me what I asked for.” But Catholic wisdom teaches us that the greatest blessing is not the realization of our plans, but the revelation of God’s. His ways are higher than ours (cf. Is 55:9), and His plans are always ordered toward our sanctification and eternal union with Him.
The saints did not measure God’s goodness by worldly success. St. Paul rejoiced in weakness, hardship, and
persecution, for in them he found the strength of Christ (cf. II Cor 12:10). The true blessing is to be drawn ever closer to the heart of God, even through suffering, uncertainty, or failure.
Mary: The Model of Holy Surrender
When the Virgin Mary uttered her fiat “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38) she gave the Church the perfect example of obedience and trust. She did not demand ideal circumstances. She did not ask for guarantees. She simply said yes. And through her yes, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
Mary’s surrender teaches us that God’s will does not depend on favourable conditions. It depends on a willing heart. Even in the midst of confusion, fear, or adversity, God’s plan unfolds with divine precision when we cooperate with His grace.
A Daily Invitation to Trust
Every day, we are invited anew to lay aside our own designs and to enter more deeply into the life God desires for us a life not shaped by fleeting ambitions, but by eternal love. This is the path of holiness. This is the path of joy.
Let us then pray with boldness and humility: Come, Holy Spirit. Teach us to desire what God desires. Shape our hearts to say yes, like Mary. Lead us into the fullness of life that comes from walking in the will of the Father. And may our lives become living prayers-echoes of Christ’s own surrender-so that in all things, God may be glorified.