For the Love of the Eternal Father

Divine Appeal Reflection - 156

Today, consider in Divine Appeal 156:  "You must put into practice what I have told you. Do it out of love for My Eternal Father."

Our Adorable Jesus teaches that love reaches its fullest maturity not in the fervor felt before Him, but in the quiet perseverance that remains faithful after the moment of prayer has passed (cf. Jn 15:9–10; Col 3:17). Many hearts delight in listening to God's voice, yet true transformation begins only when His word shapes ordinary conversations, hidden decisions, daily sacrifices, and the unseen duties of life, until every action reflects communion with Him . Christ therefore does not simply ask that His words be remembered, discussed, or defended; He asks that they become flesh once again in the lives of His disciples, just as the Eternal Word became flesh through perfect obedience to the Father's will . The tragedy of many spiritual lives is not rebellion but postponement. Felix trembled before the Gospel, yet delayed conversion until a more convenient time that never arrived (cf. Acts 24:24–27). The rich man who approached Jesus desired eternal life,(cf. Mk 10:17–22) but affection for earthly security quietly outweighed his willingness to surrender everything to God . By contrast, the obscure disciples who immediately left their fishing nets entered a history that transformed the world because they acted when grace invited them (cf. Mt 4:18–22). The Rechabites, though rarely remembered, remained faithful across generations to a difficult command received from their ancestors, (cf. Jer 35:1–19) becoming a living witness that steadfast obedience bears lasting fruit before God . The Catechism (cf. CCC 1814–1816, 1822–1829) teaches that faith reaches its perfection only when it becomes active through charity, for truth believed but not lived cannot mature into holiness . Saint Claude de la Colombière taught that the greatest gift we offer Christ is not admiration alone, but trusting obedience when His will challenges our desires . Every Christian must choose daily between simply looking at Jesus and becoming like Him, for only a life transformed by His love glorifies the Eternal Father .

This appeal also unveils the hidden intention that gives eternal value to every action: "Do it out of love for My Eternal Father." Here Our Adorable Jesus elevates the Christian life beyond duty into participation in His own filial love. Throughout His earthly life, every word, silence, miracle, step, tear, and suffering was directed toward pleasing the Father rather than seeking human approval (cf. Jn 5:19–20; Jn 8:28–29; Jn 17:4). This same spirit must penetrate every vocation. A surgeon performing a difficult operation with reverence for the dignity of life, a widow praying faithfully in an empty home, a mechanic refusing dishonest repairs despite financial pressure, a teacher patiently encouraging a struggling child, a seminarian embracing hidden discipline, or a religious joyfully accepting unnoticed tasks may all glorify the Father as profoundly as great missionaries when these acts are consciously united to Christ's love . Obed-Edom never preached publicly nor governed Israel, yet because he reverenced the Ark of the Covenant, his entire household became abundantly blessed by God (cf. 2 Sm 6:10–12; 1 Chr 13:13–14). Likewise, Bezalel sanctified his craftsmanship by fashioning the sacred furnishings according to God's design, reminding every Christian that work becomes worship when offered in loving obedience (cf. Ex 31:1–11; Ex 35:30–35). The Catechism teaches that every lawful activity, when performed in grace and united to Christ, becomes a spiritual sacrifice pleasing to the Father (cf. CCC 901, 2427, 358). Blessed Columba Marmion beautifully taught that the whole Christian life is an invitation to share in the Son's own relationship with the Father, so that even the smallest faithful act becomes an echo of Christ's eternal "Yes" offered in love .

Our Adorable Jesus desires more than occasional heroic sacrifices; (cf. Rom 12:1; Col 3:17; CCC 901) He longs that every ordinary duty become a quiet offering of love to His Eternal Father, transforming daily life into continual worship . One of the greatest dangers to the spiritual life is not open rebellion but quietly confining God to the church while excluding Him from ordinary decisions. A soul may adore Christ devoutly before the tabernacle, yet later humiliate an employee, ignore an elderly parent, manipulate the truth to secure a contract, remain silent before injustice, or withhold reconciliation from a wounded family member, revealing that the Eucharist has been received without fully transforming the heart .  Ebed-Melech, (cf. Jer 38:7–13) a humble servant in King Zedekiah’s palace, risked his life to rescue Jeremiah from the cistern when others remained silent . Though his courage was hidden from human eyes, God  remembered his mercy and promised him deliverance amid Jerusalem’s destruction (cf. Jer 39:15–18) , revealing that unseen acts of love are never forgotten by Him. Even in his old age, Barzillai served the Lord by quietly providing for David and those who journeyed with him, showing that simple acts of generosity offered at the right time can sustain God's saving work in ways known fully only to Him (cf. 2 Sm 17:27–29; 19:31–39). Likewise, holiness is fashioned through hidden fidelity: responding to injury with patience, rejecting dishonest gain, restoring what belongs to others without being prompted, welcoming the lonely, praying for those who oppose us, spending a few moments before the Blessed Sacrament, reverently making the Sign of the Cross when passing a church, teaching children to genuflect before the tabernacle, or persevering at Sunday Mass despite fatigue and life's many demands .  St. Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi taught that love proves itself not by lofty feelings but by faithful perseverance in the Father's will, especially when no one notices. The Eternal Father continually beholds these hidden acts, (cf. Mt 6:1–6; Col 3:3–4) and what the world considers insignificant often shines most brilliantly in heaven .

Yet Christ's command also exposes a subtle temptation that has accompanied God's people throughout salvation history: the temptation to substitute religious activity for interior surrender. King Amaziah outwardly obeyed many commandments, yet Scripture quietly reveals that his heart was never wholly given to the Lord (cf. 2 Chr 25:1–2). Jehu zealously destroyed idolatry,(cf. 2 Kgs 10:28–31) but never allowed God to uproot the idols hidden within his own ambitions . Such divided obedience remains a danger today. A priest may preach eloquently while neglecting silent prayer. Parents may teach children to pray yet fail to forgive each other. A parish leader may tirelessly organise apostolates while quietly nourishing jealousy. A businessman may donate generously to charity while exploiting employees through injustice. A student may defend Christian values publicly yet privately indulge impurity through digital media. Outward fidelity (cf. Mt 6:24; Hos 6:6) without inward conversion eventually becomes spiritually exhausting because the heart serves two masters . St. John Henry Newman taught that conscience is the sacred sanctuary where God quietly speaks, inviting the soul to choose truth before the world ever witnesses its actions . Saint Titus Brandsma bore witness to this hidden fidelity by allowing divine charity to triumph over hatred, remaining peaceful and forgiving even in persecution and death . The Catechism (cf. CCC 1776–1802, 1850, 2563) teaches that the human heart is the place where every moral decision is made, and where each free choice either deepens communion with God or gradually distances the soul from Him . Our Adorable Jesus therefore calls every Christian to a deeper integrity, (cf. Ps 51:6; Jn 4:23–24; Jas 1:25) where the hidden life and the visible life become one continuous offering of love to the Eternal Father .

The deepest fulfilment of this Divine Appeal is found in the Holy Eucharist, where Our Adorable Jesus continually offers Himself to the Father in perfect love (cf. Heb 9:11–14; CCC 1362–1368). Every Holy Mass invites us to unite our work, sufferings, family life, hidden sacrifices, and daily duties with His eternal offering, making ordinary life a living sacrifice pleasing to God . Like Aquila and Priscilla, (cf. Acts 18:1–3; Rom 16:3–5) who sanctified their ordinary work through faithful witness and generous hospitality , we are sent from the altar to continue Eucharistic worship wherever God has placed us. Dorcas transformed simple sewing into an apostolate of mercy, (cf. Acts 9:36–42) clothing the poor with such generous love that her absence left an entire community in tears . Joseph of Arimathea  risked his reputation by publicly honouring the crucified Christ (cf. Mk 15:42–47; Jn 19:38–42) when many who had witnessed His miracles remained hidden by fear . Today this same Eucharistic offering continues whenever an accountant refuses corruption despite financial loss, a daughter patiently cares for a parent suffering from dementia, a young professional rejects dishonest advancement, a teacher remains fair to every student, or a nurse comforts a dying patient long after the shift should have ended. The Catechism (cf. CCC 1324–1327, 1391–1397) teaches that the Eucharist is the source and summit from which every vocation receives the grace to transform daily life into spiritual worship . St. Peter Julian Eymard taught that the soul who lives from the Eucharist gradually begins to think, love, forgive, and sacrifice with the very Heart of Christ. Then every ordinary action, however hidden, quietly becomes an act of praise offered through the Son to the Eternal Father (cf. Eph 5:1–2; Col 3:17).

Ultimately, this Divine Appeal reveals that heaven will judge lives less by their visible achievements than by the love with which God's will was embraced. Our Adorable Jesus does not ask whether we accomplished extraordinary works, but whether we allowed His word to shape our hearts out of love for the Father. Anna the Prophetess spent decades in obscurity, worshipping through prayer and fasting until she recognised the Messiah whom powerful rulers failed to see (cf. Lk 2:36–38). Simeon patiently waited through long years of apparent silence until one moment of faithful expectation fulfilled his entire vocation (cf. Lk 2:25–35). Rizpah, through persevering love for her deceased sons, (cf. 2 Sm 21:10–14) became an unexpected instrument that moved King David toward justice and reverence for the dead . These forgotten figures remind the Church that God builds salvation history through hidden fidelity more often than public prominence. The same mystery unfolds today when grandparents quietly intercede for children who have abandoned the faith, when spouses remain faithful through years of misunderstanding, when missionaries continue labouring without visible success, when religious persevere through spiritual dryness, or when a lonely believer continues visiting the Blessed Sacrament despite receiving no sensible consolation . St. Elizabeth of the Trinity believed that the greatest mission on earth is to become "a praise of the Father's glory" by allowing Christ to live fully within the soul. St. Angela of Foligno taught that perfect love is recognised when the soul seeks God's honour before its own comfort. The Catechism teaches that the universal call to holiness invites every Christian to the fullness of charity through continual conformity to Christ, (cf. CCC 2012–2016, 1694, 2608) who alone perfectly glorifies the Father . Therefore, every moment becomes an eternal opportunity: every choice made in love, every sacrifice embraced in faith, every hidden act of obedience, and every duty faithfully fulfilled allows the Eternal Father to recognise in His children the living image of His beloved Son, through whom all creation was made and to whom all glory returns forever .

Prayer

Our Adorable Jesus, teach us to love the Eternal Father with Your own Heart. May every prayer, sacrifice, duty, and hidden act of fidelity become united to Your Eucharistic offering. Purify our intentions, strengthen our obedience, and make our ordinary lives a continual hymn of love that gives glory to the Father and leads many souls to You . Amen.

Sr. Anna Ali of the Most Holy Eucharist, intercede for us.