Divine Appeal Reflection - 205
Today, consider in Divine Appeal 205: "I implore you to revere and embrace My will which pleases Me for a purpose to bring you again and again in bi-location."
Reverence for God's will goes beyond obeying commandments; it reaches the heart, where we choose our life's direction and purpose (cf. Rom 12:1–2). We all carry hidden expectations about the future, seeking recognition, security, lasting relationships, and fulfilled dreams . Even our service to God can become attached to personal ambitions, as we may desire His blessing without allowing Him to reshape our plans (cf. Jas 4:13–15; Mt 6:10). True surrender begins when we trust His wisdom above our own desires (cf. Prov 3:5–6). We may wish to serve Him according to our own preferences, accepting sacrifice only when it does not threaten the image we have constructed of ourselves. Yet Our Adorable Jesus invites us to surrender more deeply, allowing His will not merely to assist our ambitions but to purify and reorder them according to divine love . Abraham followed God's call without knowing where the journey would lead,(cf. Gen 12:1–4; Lk 1:26–38) while Mary accepted her vocation without foreseeing all its joys and sufferings . Their faith rested not on certainty about tomorrow, but on trust in the One who called them . True surrender means allowing God not only to guide our plans, but also to purify our desires and reshape our hearts according to His will . Christ reveals the perfect obedience of the human will to the Father's saving purpose, embracing His mission through suffering and self-offering . In imitation of Him, we gradually learn through prayer, grace, discernment, and daily conversion to desire what leads to truth and charity .Honouring God's will does not mean accepting injustice, remaining in abusive situations, or violating a properly formed conscience (cf. Acts 5:29; CCC 1783). True surrender means choosing truth and righteousness even when they demand sacrifice, unsettle our plans, or lead us into uncertainty . To surrender to Our Adorable Jesus is to let divine love become the measure of our choices, trusting that a life offered faithfully to Him can bear fruit beyond what we are presently able to understand .
This appeal invites us to contemplate bilocation, a rare mystical phenomenon in which a person is reportedly present in two places simultaneously . Although such experiences appear in accounts of certain saints, they remain extraordinary and are not a gift promised to every believer . True sanctity is measured by growth in charity, humility, and fidelity to God's will rather than by unusual spiritual manifestations . The deeper invitation is to recognise that holiness rests not in extraordinary manifestations, but in the humble surrender of the heart to God's will, allowing His grace to bear fruit through the particular vocation entrusted to each soul .The Holy Spirit distributes different gifts according to His wisdom, assigning distinct ministries and responsibilities to the members of Christ’s Body . Therefore, the reference to bilocation should be understood within the context of Sr. Anna Ali of the Most Holy Eucharist’s reported mystical experience, while the universal invitation concerns reverence for God’s will and faithful availability for His purposes . Every Christian, whether married or consecrated, working or retired, is called to offer their God-given gifts in loving service . True grace is revealed not only through extraordinary experiences,(cf. Col 3:23–24) but through a heart surrendered to God in ordinary duties . A teacher may remain in the classroom guiding one struggling learner while carrying concern for another child facing hardship at home; likewise, a son caring for his elderly mother may long to assist his siblings enduring difficulties in another town (cf. Rom 12:15; Gal 6:2). These situations are not bilocation, but they reveal how love reaches beyond immediate circumstances (cf. 1 Cor 13:4–7). Though we cannot be everywhere, we can entrust our limitations to God and allow His grace to make our service fruitful (cf. 2 Cor 12:9). Through prayer, sacrifice, and charity, we participate in the communion of Christ's Body, where different gifts serve a shared mission . One person feeds the hungry, another teaches, another intercedes, and another supports an apostolate financially; each contributes according to their calling . The answer to human limitations is not unlimited personal power, but a humble willingness to serve without making ourselves the centre of every mission . Our Adorable Jesus invites us to examine whether we are willing to serve when love interrupts our plans, support good works without recognition, and pray for souls we may never meet . Therefore, the Divine Appeal exhorts us to give up our goals, stay true to our calling, and let God's grace increase the fruitfulness of our love beyond what we could achieve on our own.
The words again and again reveal how surrender unfolds gradually, as changing circumstances uncover attachments still concealed within the heart (cf. Ps 139:23–24). We may believe we have released a desire until life tests our freedom, or resolve to forgive until an old wound is reopened . We may trust God while opportunities abound, yet discover our fears when employment vanishes and security falters . Such struggles do not necessarily invalidate our earlier efforts;(cf. Ps 139:23–24; Jas 1:2–4) sometimes, new trials reveal the places where grace is still inviting us to grow . Peter experienced this gradual purification. Although he sincerely desired to remain faithful to Jesus, his confidence in his own strength collapsed during the Passion. After his denial, Christ approached him again, not to condemn him to permanent shame, but to restore him and entrust him with a renewed mission . Peter's failure was not good in itself;(cf. Rom 8:28) it became an occasion for deeper humility because he allowed divine mercy to lead him towards conversion . This recurring invitation to surrender becomes visible in the ordinary responsibilities of life. A priest may need to acknowledge that faithful ministry does not mean personally resolving every difficulty within his parish. In such situation, God invites the heart to distinguish responsible action from the illusion of controlling every outcome . The spiritual wisdom of St Francis de Sales encourages the pursuit of holiness within one's actual vocation and circumstances, rather than through an imagined life untouched by inconvenience. Similarly,(cf. CCC 2565, 2725–2745) the Catechism presents prayer as a living relationship requiring perseverance, renewed commitment, and fidelity amid spiritual trials . Our Adorable Jesus does not necessarily remove the circumstances that test us; He can use them to reveal where our love requires greater purification. The same virtue must often be learned anew under different conditions. Patience when life is comfortable differs from patience amid disappointment; humility when unnoticed differs from humility when corrected publicly; and trust when prayers appear answered differs from trust when the future remains obscure . Thus, again and again becomes an invitation to return to God with greater honesty and freedom. Each morning offers another opportunity to release resentment, repair an injustice, resume neglected prayer, seek reconciliation, or fulfil an overlooked responsibility . The Christian journey does not depend upon continually seeking extraordinary experiences, but upon allowing grace to transform the ordinary movements of the heart . When we repeatedly surrender ourselves to Our Adorable Jesus, repetition need not signify spiritual stagnation. It may instead reveal the patient work of divine love, gradually freeing us from self-reliance, fear, and possessiveness until obedience becomes less a reluctant concession and more a loving availability to God's will .
While bilocation in this Divine Appeal relates to the particular mystical experience attributed to Sr. Anna Ali of the Most Holy Eucharist, its deeper spiritual message invites us to consider how God can multiply the fruits of our charity beyond the boundaries of our daily circumstances . This remains an analogy, not a suggestion that ordinary charitable actions constitute bilocation. Rather, it reveals a profound dimension of Christian vocation: our hearts are called to move beyond self-interest and participate in the loving service of Christ's Body . Moses offers a striking biblical image. During Israel's battle against Amalek,(cf. Ex 17:8–13) he persevered in intercession while Aaron and Hur supported his weary arms . Moses learned that God's work is sustained through shared responsibility, as Aaron and Hur supported his weary hands while Joshua fought below, revealing the harmony between visible labour and hidden assistance (cf. Ex 17:10–13). Likewise, the Church flourishes when active service is strengthened by prayer, mutual support, and humble cooperation . Aaron and Hur did not fight in the same manner as the warriors, yet their faithful support contributed to the mission. Through the communion of saints, believers are united in Christ, sharing spiritual goods and supporting one another in the journey towards God . Our prayer may sustain someone undergoing suffering; our financial assistance may enable an apostolate to reach a distant community; our practical support may allow another person to fulfil a responsibility we cannot undertake ourselves. In this way, love becomes fruitful beyond the limits of individual effort, not because we possess supernatural powers, but because God gathers diverse acts of faithfulness into the life and mission of His Church . We cannot claim to serve humanity while deliberately neglecting those whose care has genuinely been entrusted to us. A person who speaks passionately about distant needs but refuses reasonable responsibilities towards a dependent family member may have confused generous aspiration with faithful love . Neither does surrender mean accepting every demand without regard for health, justice, legitimate boundaries, or one's actual vocation. Christian charity requires prudence because our time, strength, and resources are finite . The mystical depth lies in recognising that God can extend the fruitfulness of our charity beyond the limits of our physical presence, allowing prayer, generosity, advocacy, and faithful service to touch lives we cannot personally reach (cf. Col 1:9; 1 Tim 2:1–4). We can uphold another’s dignity, support worthy works, and intercede for distant souls while remaining lovingly attentive to those entrusted to our immediate care (cf. Gal 6:2,10). Human limitations should neither excuse indifference nor become a source of needless guilt, for the Lord asks not the impossible, but a faithful offering of what we have received . Our Adorable Jesus invites us to serve wholeheartedly where He has placed us, surrender what lies beyond our reach, and recognise each encounter as a possible summons to love .
The deeper meaning of this appeal lies in the relationship between mystical grace and ordinary holiness. The Christian life is not a pursuit of extraordinary experiences, but a journey towards holiness and perfection in charity, to which every baptized person is called, regardless of vocation or circumstances . Authentic charisms are gifts of the Holy Spirit for building up the Church, not privileges that exempt anyone from humility, discernment, and continual conversion . St Joseph reveals the beauty of hidden holiness through obedient trust, protective care, and acceptance of responsibilities he had not anticipated,(cf. Mt 1:18–25; 2:13–23) even when the future remained uncertain . His example teaches parents, employers, priests, and religious that God's purposes often unfold through humble choices unnoticed by the world but precious before Him . Authentic spiritual maturity is therefore recognised not simply through extraordinary experiences, but through sincere conversion, fidelity to Christ's teaching, and a life increasingly fruitful in charity . Mystical experiences require prudent discernment because not every interior impression comes from God .For most souls, embracing God's will unfolds through sacramental life, persevering prayer, a rightly formed conscience, merciful service, and faithfulness to the duties entrusted to them . Sanctity does not depend upon bilocation or private revelations, but upon allowing Christ to reshape our desires, attitudes, and actions according to His love . The decisive turning point comes when we cease seeking spiritual distinction and begin desiring a heart that loves faithfully, serves humbly, and welcomes God's will even when it leads through hidden, ordinary paths . We may remain physically in one place while praying for someone far away, fulfil an unnoticed duty that strengthens a community, or acknowledge our limitations without becoming indifferent to suffering . These actions are not bilocation, but they can express participation in Christ's self-giving love. Ultimately, holiness means offering God our gifts, responsibilities, relationships, and limitations, allowing His grace to work through them . A soul becomes holy not by occupying the centre of every mission, but by serving humbly, loving generously, and surrendering faithfully to the divine will . These acts are not bilocation in the mystical sense, but they can express our participation in Christ's self-giving love. The ultimate invitation of the Appeal is therefore a surrender of ownership over our lives. We belong to God not because we can accomplish everything, but because His grace can work through the gifts, relationships, responsibilities, and limitations we faithfully offer Him . A soul does not become holy merely by reaching beyond ordinary boundaries; it becomes holy by allowing divine love to purify its intentions until it no longer needs to occupy the centre of every mission. Whether in family life, consecrated service, professional work, contemplation, or hidden acts of mercy, our response to Our Adorable Jesus remains the same: to seek truth, serve humbly, love generously, and surrender ourselves ever more completely to the divine will .
Prayer
Our Adorable Jesus, form in us hearts that reverence Your holy will with humility and discernment. Inspired by Sr. Anna Ali’s witness, deepen our faith without curiosity, surrender without fear, and service without seeking praise. Make us faithful instruments of Your love in ordinary duties and extraordinary callings alike. Amen.
Sr. Anna Ali of the Most Holy Eucharist, intercede for us.
