Divine Appeal Reflection - 55
Today, consider in Divine Appeal 55: "Many love Me for the sake of the reward which I have promised. They do not allow Me to make use of My rights over them."
'Many love Me', Jesus begins, yet He strikes the heart with sorrowful clarity: this love is often incomplete, tender but fragile, sincere yet self-centered. St. Bernard of Clairvaux teaches that this is the first stage of love—loving God for self, for comfort, protection, blessing, consolation, or reward . Scripture (cf. Jn 6:26–66) confirms this human tendency: the crowds followed Jesus for bread, miracles, and comfort but abandoned Him at the discourse of the Eucharist ,(cf. Ex 15:1; 16:2–3) while Israel sang praises at the Red Sea yet murmured in the desert . The Catechism (cf. CCC 1822–1829) reminds us that charity matures gradually, purified through trials and suffering . In daily life, this first-stage love manifests subtly: fervent prayer during crises, obedience only when admired, fidelity when convenient, generosity only when visible. Parents may love only when children succeed, workers serve only when achievements are recognized, spouses endure when affection is returned, priests and religious persevere only when consolation flows. Peter’s love for Jesus was sincere,(cf. Mt 26:33–35) yet faltered at the first sign of suffering . Divine Appeal 55 confronts all who love Him in this incomplete way, asking the piercing question: Do you love Me for My gifts, or for Me? Every vocation faces this trial. Only then can the soul begin to move toward the second stage of Bernard’s teaching: loving God for God while still struggling with self-love.The appeal is merciful yet urgent: love must pass through fire, purification, and humility if it is to rise beyond self-interest and enter the freedom of unbroken devotion.
'For the sake of the reward which I have promised' -Jesus unveils the subtle seduction of love that is conditioned, calculating, or self-interested. St. Bernard’s second stage of love shows the soul maturing: it now loves God, yet clings to comfort, consolation, blessings, or heaven itself as the motive. Scripture reveals the danger: “Does Job fear God for nothing?” (cf. Job 1:9). The rich young man obeyed the commandments yet could not surrender wealth and security (cf. Mk 10:17–22). The Catechism reminds us that even merit is God’s gift, not a wage, and that grace precedes reward (cf. CCC 2006–2009). Daily life exposes this stage clearly: prayer ceases when it becomes dry, obedience falters when unobserved, acts of love withdraw when unnoticed. Even hidden sacrifices may be motivated by future gain, accolades, or inner satisfaction. When reward dominates the heart, faith becomes fragile, devotion conditional, and virtue shallow. St. Bernard insists this is not sin, but immaturity, and Jesus allows it as a step toward purification. Mary’s love, by contrast, embraced the hidden, unknown, and painful . This appeal calls the soul to dethrone reward, (cf. Lk 1:38; Jn 19:25–27) to let consolations and blessings be instruments, not motives. Only when reward no longer rules does the soul approach Bernard’s third stage: loving God for God alone, free from self-centered calculation and fully surrendered.
'They do not allow Me'—Jesus laments, His voice tender yet piercing, revealing the silent rebellion of many devout hearts. St. Bernard shows that in this stage, the soul clings to autonomy, protecting self-will even while engaged in prayer, service, and devotion. Scripture reveals examples of such resistance: Jonah fleeing God’s call (cf. Jon 1:3), Saul obeying partially while withholding the best (cf. 1 Sam 15:22–23), Peter rebuking Christ’s Cross (cf. Mt 16:22–23). In daily life, this resistance hides in subtle ways: delayed forgiveness, selective obedience, restrained generosity, prayer only when convenient. The Catechism (cf. CCC 2725–2745) teaches that prayer is cooperation with divine grace, not control over God’s actions . Devout souls may cling to comforts, plans, habits, or ambitions while superficially appearing obedient. St. Teresa of Ávila warns that even deep interior prayer can coexist with stubborn self-will. Mary alone embodies complete consent: (cf. Lk 1:38) “Let it be done to me according to Your word” . Divine Appeal 55 strikes the soul with urgency: closeness without surrender is a spiritual prison.
To give Jesus unrestricted access to our hearts demands a humility that stings, a courage that shakes, (cf. Jas 4:6; 1 Pt 5:5–8) and a vigilance against the subtle assaults of pride and fear . It is the daring to let Him enter every room of thought, rearrange every plan, and even touch the most comfortable illusions we cling to, like a master gardener tending a wild, (cf. Jn 15:2) resistant vine . This surrender is not defeat—it is a sacred battlefield, quiet yet relentless, where every whisper of fear and every surge of self-will meets His gentle command, (cf. Ps 46:10) and the soul slowly learns to obey with trust rather than calculation . Parents, for example, struggle to relinquish the future of children, fearing what they cannot protect; professionals tremble at letting Him steer reputations or careers; the sick wrestle with surrender to suffering beyond comprehension. Religious and priests experience this daily in obedience, where the hidden,(cf. Lk 9:23) silent will of God seems to contradict personal desire . Christ’s radical mercy beckons us to unlock each secret chamber—resentments, ambitions, comforts, (cf. Rev 3:20) and fears—and offer Him the key . Only through this fearless surrender does intimacy blossom, for He alone discerns the depths of our hearts and heals what we cannot. St. Bernard reminds us that love untethered by fear or calculation liberates,(cf. 1 Jn 4:18) revealing that true holiness is not mere action but the soul becoming luminous with Christ’s presence .
'To make use of My rights,' Christ declares, and here the words cut deep, confronting every human illusion of autonomy. His rights are not tyranny; they are sealed by the Cross and exist for the soul’s liberation. Scripture declares: “You are not your own; you were bought with a price” (cf. 1 Cor 6:19–20) and all creation was made through Him and for Him (cf. Col 1:16). The Catechism (cf. CCC 2084–2094) teaches that God’s lordship is the foundation of true freedom . St. Bernard’s third stage—loving God for God alone—is reached when the soul relinquishes ownership entirely, surrendering will, desire, and self-interest. Daily life manifests this challenge: Christ claims authority over our time, work, words, suffering, relationships, and choices (cf. Lk 5:4–6). Peter’s obedience (cf. Lk 5:4–6) produced miraculous fruit only after surrender . The appeal asks the piercing question: Will Christ reign, or will self-sovereignty persist? To submit fully is terrifying, for it dissolves self-rule, disrupts comfort, and reorders life. Yet Scripture promises freedom, peace, (cf. Phil 3:7–14; Mt 16:24–25) and fruitfulness for the surrendered soul . Allowing Christ His rights is radical, but necessary for souls to reach the stage Bernard describes as loving God entirely, uncalculatingly, for God alone. Every vocation is called to this surrender—parent, spouse, worker, minister, religious—where obedience is not occasional, but continuous and complete.
'Over them'—the final words descend like both judgment and mercy, marking the call to total belonging. Scripture (cf. 1 Sam 13:13–14; Ps 51:6) contrasts Saul’s divided heart with David’s surrendered one . The Catechism (cf. CCC 2012–2014) teaches that holiness requires full integration under God’s reign, not fragmented devotion . St. Bernard calls the final stage God for God alone, where the soul forgets self entirely, resting fully in divine love. Saints exemplify this surrender: Mother Teresa allowed Christ to use her exhaustion and darkness (cf. 2 Cor 12:7–9), (cf. Jn 15:13) Maximilian Kolbe allowed Christ to use his death . In daily life, this surrender manifests in hidden obedience:(cf. Heb 12:11) patience when misunderstood, fidelity when unseen, prayer when dry, forgiveness without reciprocation . When Christ reigns fully over the soul, fear and self-rule collapse, and divine peace floods the heart. Only when God claims all can the soul truly belong. This total surrender transforms every vocation, every action, every thought, and every suffering into love perfected. Here, the stages St. Bernard describes reach their completion: loving God freely, uncalculatingly, entirely, for God alone, and finding ultimate rest in His Heart.
Prayer
Our Adorable Jesus, we confess that we love You yet still hold back. We cling to rewards while resisting Your rightful reign. Take authority over our hearts, choices, and futures. Strip us of fear, and teach us the freedom of belonging entirely to You. Amen.
Sr. Anna Ali of the Most Holy Eucharist, intercede for us.
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