To leave thy beloved for thy Beloved

"Love Him, and keep Him for thy friend, who, when all go away, will not forsake thee, nor suffer thee to perish in the end. Some time or other thou must be separated from all, whether thou wilt or no. Keep close to Jesus both in life and in death, and commit thyself unto His faithfulness, who, when all fail, can alone help thee."
- from Imitation of Christ

You were just talking about this tonight...having Him as number one...as the center of your life. He is, but not all the time yet. There are still things and people you put above Him in one way or another, and it is these you must continue to surrender through the hands of Mary. It is useless to depend on that which withers away, for you know full well that it is Christ alone who will never leave you. Things lose their value and relationships change as seasons do. There is no secure guarantee of anything except in the presence and love of God.

Mary knew this because each day of her life was lived in Him. She did not worry about what would be taken away from her or what she may never have. She only accepted what was given to her. Her future was left completely in His hands.

Instead of asking: "Will I see my mother and father again?"
she allowed them to leave her at the Temple because she knew who she truly belonged to.

Instead of wondering: "How will Joseph understand my pregancy?"
she trusted that God would do the explaining somehow.

Instead of insisting: "Jesus must not leave Nazareth...I need Him"
she issued forth the command for His first miracle, thus beginning His public ministry for the people who needed Him more.

Instead of desperately crying: "How could you do this to Him?"
she resigned in absolute silence to the Father's plan of salvation.

"We must examine and meditate on the great virtues she practised during her life, especially: 1) Her lively faith, by which she believed the angel's word without the least hesitation, and believed faithfully and constantly even to the foot of the Cross on Calvary. 2) Her deep humility, which made her prefer seclusion, maintain silence, submit to every eventuality and put herself in the last place. "

There was no time for her to fear or doubt. Her mission was too important.

And so is yours, little one. Waste no time asking questions. Just serve wherever you are with whoever has been given you. But first and foremost, you must love Him and it is out of the love that has been placed in your heart that you will share.

Hold on to nothing but Him who you cannot grasp...who cradles you in the palm of His hand.

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. The one who finds it buries it again; and so happy is he, that he goes and sells everything he has in order to buy that field."
(Mt. 13:44)