Mother Teresa, in her last letter to her community, wrote: “We have much to thank God for, especially that he has given us Our Lady’s spirit to be the spirit of our Society. Loving trust and total surrender made Our Lady say ‘Yes’ to the message of the angel, and cheerfulness made her run in haste to serve her cousin Elizabeth. That is so much our life—saying ‘Yes’ to Jesus and running in haste to serve him in the poorest of the poor. Let us keep close to Our Lady, and she will make that same spirit grow in each one of us.”
Elie Dib, the translator of Father Dolindo Ruotolo’s biblical commentary, wrote: “In translating Don Dolindo’s commentary on Genesis, I discovered profound echoes of his divinely inspired Surrender Novena. As the epic stories unfolded through creation and fall, flood and exile, the patriarchs modelled a journey of radical trust in God’s loving providence. Like Abraham yielding to the unknown, Joseph persevering through unjust suffering—at every turn, Genesis issues one call across the millennia: ‘O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything!’ May this sublime refrain resound through Don Dolindo’s potent words. In the vast biblical figures of the book of Genesis, Don Dolindo Ruotolo finds a grand retelling of the spiritual journey.”
Commenting on the fall of Adam and Eve, Dib wrote: “Now the mortification of suffering becomes necessary medicine, as God promises a Saviour born of woman (Genesis 3, Commentary). Don Dolindo counselled calmly following God’s lead through such bitter remedies: ‘Let it suffice for us to know that the demands of divine glory and our own good govern the providence of life. Let it suffice for us to open our arms and rest as children on the paternal heart of God’ (Genesis 3, Commentary).”
Thomas a Kempis wrote: “For if God wants you to learn to suffer tribulation without comfort, it is so that you may surrender yourself entirely to him and so become more humble through tribulation. No one feels the passion of Christ more intimately than one who has suffered as he did.”
The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible states: “The Book of Job wrestles with some of life’s biggest questions. Most concern what it means to serve God, to suffer in God’s presence, and to surrender ourselves to God, even when we do not have all the answers.”
St. Faustina Kowalska, who suffered from a long illness, learned submission to the will of God. The saint wrote: “One day I complained to Jesus that I was being a burden to the sisters. Jesus answered me: ‘You are not living for yourself but for souls, and other souls will profit from your sufferings. Your prolonged suffering will give them the light and strength to accept my will.’”
On another occasion, Our Lord said to the saint: “My daughter, my delight is to unite myself with you. It is when you submit yourself to my will that you give me the greatest glory and draw down upon yourself a sea of blessings. I would not take such special delight in you if you were not living by my will.”
Commenting on chapters 37 and 39 in Genesis, Don Dolindo wrote: “When the Lord makes us a promise … he can only guide us in ways that are completely different from ours. … We must have the calmness to follow him, and the constancy to wait for him. … God chooses the path of pain and humiliation for the souls that are dear to him. … In order for God to be with us, humility and obedience, simplicity and peace are necessary.”
St. Therese of Lisieux said: “For years I have not belonged to myself. I have surrendered myself wholly to Jesus, and he is free to do with me whatsoever he pleases.”
Thomas Merton said: “Real self-conquest is the conquest of ourselves not by ourselves but by the Holy Spirit. Self-conquest is really self-surrender.”
Your voice matters! Join the conversation by submitting a Letter to the Editor here.
征服自我即是交託自我
德蘭修女在她留給修會的最後一封信中寫道：「我們有許多要感謝天主的事，尤其是祂賜予我們聖母的精神，成為我們修會的精神。懷著愛的信賴與完全交託，聖母對天使的信息說了『是』，而因著喜樂，她急忙趕去服侍她的表姐依撒伯爾。這正是我們的生活—向耶穌說『是』，並急切地去服侍祂在最貧苦的人羣中。讓我們緊貼聖母，她將使這份精神在我們每個人內成長。」
羅特婁神父(Father Dolindo Ruotolo)聖經注解的翻譯者艾利·迪布（Elie Dib）寫道：「在翻譯羅特婁神父對《創世紀》的注解時，我對他那神聖靈感所啟的《完全降服於主禱文》有了深刻回響。在創造與墮落、洪水與流亡的史詩故事中，族長們示範了一條完全信靠天主慈愛安排的旅程。就如同亞巴郎接受未知、若瑟忍受不公的苦難，《創世紀》在每個轉折點都傳遞著一個跨越千年的呼召：『噢！耶穌，我把自己完全交託給祢，一切由祢照料！』願這崇高的呼聲透過羅特婁神父充滿力量的話語回響不息。在《創世紀》經典的聖經人物中，羅特婁神父發現了一場靈修旅程的壯麗複述。」
在評論亞當與厄娃的墮落時，艾利寫道：「現在，痛苦的克己成為必要的藥方，因為天主應許了一位由女人誕生的救主（創3，註解）。羅特婁神父勸導我們平靜地隨從天主的帶領，接受這些苦澀的藥方：『我們只需知道，生命的眾事由天主的光榮和我們的益處所支配；我們只需張開雙臂，像孩子一樣安憩於天父的懷抱。』（創3，註解）」
多瑪斯·甘貝（Thomas à Kempis）寫道：「如果天主要你在無慰的磨難中學習，那是為了讓你完全地交託於祂，並透過磨難變得更加謙卑。沒有人比那些如基督一樣受苦的人更能親身體會基督的苦難。」
《依納爵天主教聖經注解》指出：「《約伯傳》探討了人生中的一些最大問題，其中大多涉及侍奉天主的意義、在天主的注視下受苦的意義，以及即使在無法得知所有答案時，依然將自己交託於天主的意義。」
聖傅天娜（St. Faustina Kowalska）在長期病痛中學習接受天主的旨意。她寫道：「有一天，我向耶穌抱怨自己成了姐妹們的負擔。耶穌回答我：『我的女兒，你不是為自己而活，而是為靈魂而活，其他靈魂將從你的痛苦中受益。你的漫長痛苦將賜予他們光明和力量，讓他們接受我的旨意。』」
另一個場合，主耶穌對她說：「我的女兒，我的喜悅在於與你合而為一。當你順服於我的旨意時，你就賜予了我最大的光榮，並為自己帶來恩典的海洋。如果你不生活在我的旨意中，我不會對你有如此特別的喜悅。」
在評論《創世紀》第37和39章時，羅特婁神父寫道：「當天主向我們作出應許時 … 祂只能以完全不同於我們的方式引導我們 … 我們必須平靜地跟隨祂，並有恆久的耐心等待祂 …。天主為那些祂所愛的靈魂選擇了痛苦和謙卑之路 … 若要天主與我們同在，謙遜與服從、單純與和平是必需的。」
聖女小德蘭（St. Thérèse of Lisieux）說：「多年來，我已不屬於自己，我完全將自己交託給耶穌，祂可以隨祂的旨意處置我。」多瑪斯·默頓（Thomas Merton）說：「真正的征服自我並不是靠我們自己，而是靠聖神。征服自我其實是交託自我。」
Your voice matters! Join the conversation by submitting a Letter to the Editor here.
