HIDING JESUS IN OUR HEARTS

Divine Appeal Reflection - 193

Today, consider in Divine Appeal 193:  "My plans to work through a soul depends on the freedom that I get from that particular soul. I want to hide in your heart always if you allow Me.”

Our Adorable Jesus desires to work wonders in and through each soul, but He patiently waits for our free and loving consent. He will never force Himself upon a heart, for true love requires freedom. The Catechism teaches that God created man with free will so that he might seek the good voluntarily and grow in perfection by choosing to love God above all things (cf. CCC 1730-1731). The plans of divine grace unfold most fully in a soul that yields this freedom back to God, allowing Him to take complete possession and accomplish His saving work through that soul.

When we freely surrender to our Adorable Jesus, He draws us into an interior union with Him, desiring to hide Himself within our hearts. This hiddenness reflects the mystery of the Eucharist, where He humbly conceals His Real Presence under the form of bread and wine, longing to abide with us and transform us from within (cf. CCC 1374). Saint Teresa of Avila teaches that when a soul offers itself wholly to Christ, He takes up His dwelling within, making that soul a little heaven where He finds rest (cf. Interior Castle, Seventh Mansions).

Our Blessed Mother is the perfect example of this freedom offered to God. Her “Fiat” at the Annunciation was a total surrender of her will, allowing God to work His greatest plan—the Incarnation—through her humble heart (cf. Luke 1:38). She welcomed our Adorable Jesus into her very being and carried Him both physically and spiritually, teaching all souls how to let God reign within. Her Immaculate Heart became the dwelling place where Jesus could rest and from which He could pour out His love upon the world.

Each soul is invited to imitate Mary’s surrender by offering their heart as a place where our Adorable Jesus may dwell. This requires daily interior mortification, detachment from sin, and fidelity to prayer, especially in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Saint Faustina expressed this surrender beautifully, praying that her heart might become a resting place for Jesus, where He would always find comfort and love (cf. Diary, 1231). When we give our freedom back to God in this way, He hides within us, and His plans for our sanctification and the salvation of others are brought to fulfillment.

Prayer

Our Adorable Jesus, hide Yourself in our hearts and take full possession of our souls. Grant us the grace to surrender our wills to Yours, so that You may work freely in us. Make us dwelling places of Your love, bringing light, healing, and salvation to all souls.

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