Loving Dependence on God, Who Loves us Most

How often do we realize that life is not ours for the taking, but rather kept in existence and loved by another? For no matter how much we try to control our daily lives, live by our standards and expect God’s will to be our will, it all falls apart. We are not our own. So brings us to this year’s theme of our Archbishop Chaput Chair in Philosophy Lecture by Dr. Susan Selner-Wright: Ontological Poverty and Our Attitude towards the Impoverished and Dependent.

In her delightful talk, Dr. Selner-Wright weaves together personal experience, thorough research, and much prayer in order to enlighten us on the fundamental disposition we should carry within our very souls. Specifically, we are called to be children dependent upon the Father and trustful in all things!

Yet how often is this not the case? Our society is full of pressures to self-assert, morality is determined by taste and any notion of God is a shackle that must be broken asunder! Instead, autonomy is valued, yet to what end! Rather than “freedom to be ourselves” as God created us, we choose to freely enslave ourselves to sin and distort the preciousness of our souls.

Dr. Selner-Wright strongly proclaims that dependence upon God is not to be scorned, but our key to satisfaction. For our desire for affirmation, for love will never be satisfied by some like on Facebook. Rather we find it in realizing that God is crazy about us! He delights in us and only asks that we might delight in Him above all else.

Find Inspiration from the Littlest Among us!

In growing in this filial dependence toward the Father, the presenter exhorts us to look toward the least among us for inspiration. In the profoundly disabled, we find not a burden to our lives, but a great gift of love and trust. For in these littlest among us, is a call to expand in love and generosity toward another. They teach us that life is more than rationality and practicality, but rather relationality.

Thus, in loving the disabled, our hearts are expanded to appreciate the love that God the Father has for us. In recognizing that we too are utterly dependent on God, as the disabled are dependent on us, we receive the freedom of the sons of God (Romans 8:21), and rest safely in the bosom of the Father.

Litany of Trust

by the Sisters of Life 

From the belief that I have to earn Your love … Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear that I am unlovable … Deliver me, Jesus.

From the false security that I have what it takes … Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear that trusting You will leave me more destitute … Deliver me, Jesus.

From all suspicion of Your words and promises … Deliver me, Jesus.

From the rebellion against childlike dependency on You … Deliver me, Jesus.

From refusals and reluctances in accepting Your will … Deliver me, Jesus.

From anxiety about the future … Deliver me, Jesus.

From resentment or excessive preoccupation with the past … Deliver me, Jesus.

From restless self-seeking in the present moment … Deliver me, Jesus.

From disbelief in Your love and presence … Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being asked to give more than I have … Deliver me, Jesus.

From the belief that my life has no meaning or worth … Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of what love demands … Deliver me, Jesus.

From discouragement … Deliver me, Jesus.

That You are continually holding me sustaining me, loving me … Jesus, I trust in you.

That Your love goes deeper than my sins and failings, and transforms me …Jesus, I trust in you.

That not knowing what tomorrow brings is an invitation to lean on You … Jesus, I trust in you.

That you are with me in my suffering … Jesus, I trust in you.

That my suffering, united to Your own, will bear fruit in this life and the next …Jesus, I trust in you.

That You will not leave me orphan, that You are present in Your Church …Jesus, I trust in you.

That Your plan is better than anything else … Jesus, I trust in you.

That You always hear me, and in Your goodness always respond to me …Jesus, I trust in you.

That You give me the grace to accept forgiveness and to forgive others …Jesus, I trust in you.

That You give me all the strength I need for what is asked …Jesus, I trust in you.

That my life is a gift … Jesus, I trust in you.

That You will teach me to trust You … Jesus, I trust in you.

That You are my Lord and my God … Jesus, I trust in you.

That I am Your beloved one … Jesus, I trust in you.