Sacrificing the Will

How does Our Jesus save us? In the same way that we are saved. By submitting entirely to the will of the Father. By sacrificing all self-chosen beliefs and liturgies; by sacrificing all self-serving hopes and fears; by sacrificing the will with the confidence that what the Father wills is best and shall prevail.

So Our Lord Jesus first sacrifices Himself—His will, His desire. And by doing so, He becomes the most pure, the most holy, the most spotless sacrifice which is offered for the life of the world.

Because He willingly sacrifices His will; because He deliberately submits Himself entirely to the will of the Father; because He determines to lose His life in order to gain the world—for this reason Our Lord Jesus both saves us with an unmatched love; and He also shows us the way we receive and give thanks for and live from this sacrifice. So His sacrifice is both our salvation, and our example. His sacrifice both is the way we are reconciled to the Father, and shows us the way we live a life of reconciliation. His sacrifice both is the path that leads to full communion with the Father, and demonstrates the way we live that communion in the Spirit.

For when He was being served up for our salvation, Our Lord thought not of Himself. Neither did He fear. Neither did He seek to hide. Neither did He get angry. But serenely and compassionately, as He saw His own forsake Him and His own deride Him and His own torture Him—for them He said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

For these He sought pardon, from whom at the time He was still receiving injury. For He took no thought that He was being put to death by them, but only that He was dying for them. (St Augustine)

An excerpt from today's sermon.