UNDERSTANDING SELF- ANNIHILATION IN CHRIST

Divine Appeal Reflection - 144

Today, consider in Divine Appeal 144:  "I want you to understand and  annihilate yourself so that My Eternal Father may reign not only in you but to many more souls which you bring to Me."

The concept of self-annihilation can initially sound severe, but in the spiritual sense, it is a transformative journey into the heart of God. This annihilation is not about negating our dignity or existence but about aligning ourselves with God’s will. It calls for humility, detachment, and sacrificial love, leading to complete dependence on God. This is the pathway to allowing divine grace to permeate our lives, transforming us into living reflections of our Adorable Jesus.

Self-annihilation is based on humility. It is an honest admission of our frailty and total reliance on God's grace. The Bible teaches us that God opposes the arrogant and elevates the lowly (James 4:6). We make room for God's transformational power to operate within us when we approach Him with an understanding of our weakness and wickedness. The lives of saints demonstrate this humility. For instance, one saint referred to herself as the “little flower,” believing she was small and insignificant yet completely reliant on God’s mercy. This simplicity and trust allowed God to do great things through her. In a similar way, we are called to bow low before the Creator, surrendering our self-reliance and embracing His divine will as our Adorable Jesus exemplified in His earthly life.

The conscious process of letting go of material attachments and worldly goals that obstruct our relationship with God is known as detachment. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus reminds us that one cannot serve two masters by emphasizing that one cannot serve God and money simultaneously.  Instead of letting the gifts of creation rule our hearts, detachment encourages us to appropriate their order and use them to exalt God. Detachment is not about rejecting the gifts of creation but about rightly ordering them, using them to glorify God rather than allowing them to dominate our hearts. In the Gospels, for instance, when Jesus invited the wealthy young man to accompany Him, he was unable to part with his possessions and left in despair (Mark 10:21-22). This shows us the value of giving heavenly treasures priority over material ones. When we let go of transient things, we make room for eternal riches and a deeper intimacy with our Adorable Jesus.

The ultimate form of self-annihilation is sacrificial love that gives ones life for others in emulation of Christ. Jesus declared that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13). This call to sacrificial love is not only for radical and dramatic gestures but even a relentless act of caring, forgiving, and serving. Sacrificial love is defined by selflessness, putting others' needs first, and sacrificing the necessary resources to help others. Parents, missionaries, and caretakers who set aside time every day to help others are excellent examples of this. By exhibiting selfless love, we make ourselves available to serve as conduits for the Adorable Jesus to draw others nearer to us.

Self-annihilation in Christ is not about losing oneself in a void but about being filled with the presence and life of God. Humility teaches us to acknowledge our dependence on Him, detachment frees us from distractions, and sacrificial love transforms us into vessels of divine grace. As we yield our egos and embrace God’s will, we allow Him to reign in us and through us, bringing His light and love to the world through the example of our Adorable Jesus.

Prayer

Oh our Adorable Jesus, teach me to embrace humility, detach from worldly desires, and offer myself in sacrificial love. Reign in my heart and transform me into a vessel of Your grace, so that I may bring Your light and love to the souls You long to save.

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