ABANDONMENT TO THE DIVINE CHISEL

Divine Appeal Reflection - 190

Today, consider in Divine Appeal 190:  "Bring Me more souls in your prayers. Many times. I give you keen pleasure so that as it fills your heart with love you may recognise Me. I call you to leave yourself to the strokes of the chisel. I love you to the point of doing the good I want to souls."

Our Adorable Jesus, in His infinite love, desires to shape each soul into a masterpiece of grace, calling us to abandon ourselves to His divine craftsmanship. The image of the chisel evokes the process of sanctification, where Jesus, like a master sculptor, removes all that is unnecessary from our lives to reveal the beauty hidden within. This transformation requires our submission to His will, allowing Him to refine us through trials, purifications, and sufferings, which are the very tools He uses to mold us into vessels of His love.

Embracing the "strokes of the chisel" means recognizing that the trials we face are not signs of abandonment but of divine attention. Our Adorable Jesus disciplines those He loves, not as punishment, but as a means to purify and strengthen our souls (cf. Hebrews 12:5-6). Just as a sculptor must chip away at the stone to reveal the desired form, Jesus removes the layers of pride, selfishness, and worldly attachments that obscure His image within us. This process, though often painful, is filled with purpose and divine tenderness.

True discipleship calls us to renounce our own will and entrust ourselves entirely to the divine providence of God. This holy abandonment was exemplified by saints such as St. Thérèse of Lisieux and St. John of the Cross, who embraced suffering and trials as sacred paths to deeper union with Jesus. The love of our Adorable Jesus is not passive; it is an active, purifying force that seeks to transform our souls into living instruments of His grace. When we surrender our desires, conforming our hearts to His divine will, we are molded into radiant reflections of His heavenly beauty, becoming channels through which His boundless love flows to others.

The true joy of being shaped by the Divine Chisel flows from the profound awareness that we are being molded by the loving hands of our Savior. Though the path of purification may be marked by trials and suffering, its purpose is the sanctification of our souls, making them radiant reflections of God's glory. This sacred journey of abandonment is steeped in trustful surrender and unwavering hope, as we recognize that every trial, every moment of refinement, is an expression of divine love. The hands of our Adorable Jesus, tender yet firm, guide this transformation, desiring nothing more than our sanctification and the salvation of countless souls through us.

Prayer

Our Adorable Jesus, Divine Sculptor of souls, we abandon ourselves to Your loving chisel. Shape our hearts, remove all that hinders Your grace, and refine us through trials. May we trust in Your will, embrace suffering with love, and become vessels radiating Your divine beauty. 

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