Mark 10:28 (Surrender)

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (website, Facebook).

“Peter began to say to Jesus, ‘We have given up everything and followed You.'” Mark 10:28 (full readings)

Rob’s Reflections: Surrender. In our culture obsessed with control and comfort, perhaps there is no more difficult word than “surrender.” We view the word itself as unworthy of being uttered because we give up control of everything when we surrender. The contrast between surrender and control can be seen in today’s image. Michelangelo captured the surrender of Jesus and Mary in his famous Pieta. Jesus, God Himself, chose to surrender to the Father’s Will and offer his life for our salvation. That saving act would not have been possible without Mary’s yes, “May it be done to me according to your word.” Both knew their surrender would come at the greatest cost. The Son had to endure the suffering and death; the mother had to silently witness the suffering and death of her only Child. But to be Pro-Life in the world today is to embrace surrender. To bring a child into the world despite the cost in time and treasure, to care for the elderly and infirm long after it is comfortable to do so, to refuse to take one’s own life when the purpose for living seems to have vanished…all of these are examples of surrendering one’s self to God. To live our lives in this way is to embrace Peter’s words and to “give up everything and follow Jesus.”

* Today’s image has special meaning for me. Michelle and I saw the Pieta in 1999 during a visit to Rome. I was struck by how “real” it looked. It seemed if you touched the skin of Michelangelo’s Jesus His flesh would be soft. I was also struck by the expression on the face of the Mother of God as she contemplates the crushed and broken body of her son. God the Son and the Mother of God, both fully surrendered to the Father in life and in death.

Faith Challenge: Identify one thing in your life that is troubling you, one challenge that is gnawing at you, and offer it up to God today as a small step toward giving up everything and following Him.

Counter-Culture News: LSN, Vatican, AFA, Priests for Life, Live Action

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). Add Prayers on ourwebsite. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, running, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.

Feast Day: Saint David of Wales.

Faith Quote: “God has landed on this enemy-occupied world in human form. The perfect surrender and humiliation was undergone by Christ: perfect because He was God, surrender and humiliation because He was man.” ~ C.S. Lewis
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Through Christ Our Lord,
Rob  

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* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. Fast from things that take your eyes off Jesus. Those who pray together stay together, and close to God!

* Save Unborn (& family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (23% pregnancies).Prov 24:11 & Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa

* Evangelize: Make room for unbelievers & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.