“I surrender myself entirely…..” To surrender oneself is much more than surrender. Surrender is to give something, anything; and it is very good; but that is little. Most beautiful is to donate oneself, the whole being, from the deepest identity. From the source of affections, desires, emotions, ideas, memories and decisions: body, soul and spirit, as Paul would say (1Thes 5.23). The totality of the person enters into play and now he no longer belongs to himself.
The whole history of the world and man is the history of the selfless love of a God entrusted to humanity. Paul says in a graphic way, “He loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2.20). The surrender of Jesus at the supreme moment of the cross is an intense and affectionate sacrifice; the supreme form of the surrender of the Son to the Father for love of us is realized in it. Through this self-giving, Jesus took upon himself all past, present and future pain and sin of the world and enters into the heart of the world gone away from God, bearing in the offering and reconciliation of the Passover the exile of sinners. The cry from the Cross, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Mk 15.34) is the sign of the deep of pain and loneliness the Son wanted to take upon himself to enter into the innermost part of the suffering of the world and bring it to reconciliation.
Discovering vitally what He has done for us, we cannot fail to give ourselves to Him. We pray – or sing – with the words of Charles de Foucauld:
“Father, I place myself into your hands/, do with me whatever you want/, whatever it is, I give you thanks /. I am ready to do anything/, I accept it all/, so that your will be done in me/, and in all your creatures/. I desire nothing more, Father/. I entrust to you my soul/, and I give you with all the love that I am able/; because I love you/, and I need to give myself/, place myself in your hands without measure/, with an infinite confidence/, because you are my father”.