Thursday, January 22, 2009

Abbey of Saint Walburga Blog

Mother Maria-Michael Newe, OSB. of the Abbey of Saint Walburga in Virginia Dale, Colorado, has been posting reflections on the blog of this benedictine monastery since 2007. Mother Maria-Michael's reflections are often full of wisdom and spiritual depth. I hope she will not mind my reproducing her last posting on God's Vulnerability. I hope it will incite you to visit the Abbey's blog at http://stwalburga.blogspot.com:

A reflection by Mother Maria-Michael Newe, OSB.

I was thinking about the Gospel reading when the father says to his sons, “Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.” (Lk 21:28-32) And then the son gives a response. In other words, what the father says to his son is probably in the setting of a question: “Son, will you go out?” This made me think of the vulnerability of God. He doesn’t demand anything of us, He asks it of us. And when anybody asks, there’s the option of a 'yes' or a 'no'.

I looked up in the dictionary the word 'vulnerable' and it said “capable of or susceptible of being wounded.” What humility God has allowed Himself to take on! You hear of people desiring to take control of things while God Himself gives us free will. Even He does not control us. He allows Himself to be vulnerable; susceptible to be hurt. I looked at that and was utterly amazed at what God has done for us and what it means that He gave us free will. Do we give each other that freedom as well? Are we open to being vulnerable?

I really marvel more and more at what God has done for us in simply asking, “Will you follow me?”

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