“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works
that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going
to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that
the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me
in my name, I will do it.” John 14:12–14
How is it that we are called to do greater works than the works
that Jesus Himself did? Of course, it’s true. This is our calling.
We know that, because this is what our Lord promised us. This truth
should fill us with gratitude for being used so powerfully by
God.
Among the “greater” works of which Jesus speaks is, first and
foremost, the sharing of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. As
Jesus walked the earth, His mission was primarily to the people of
Israel. But when He ascended to Heaven and sent the Holy Spirit
upon the Church, He also empowered all who would receive the Holy
Spirit to share the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Thus, the
conversion of hearts is the greatest work that we can cooperate
with.
Do you want to do great things? Most children dream of doing so
because this desire is written upon our human nature. We want to
make a difference. We want to be great. But too often we become
confused about true greatness. We attempt to fulfill that innate
desire through acts of worldly and passing greatness. We seek
recognition, wealth, and other passing rewards that stem from
selfish ambitions. None of these ultimately fulfill us, even if we
were to achieve them to the greatest extent. For example, imagine
if you won the Nobel Peace Prize, or became the leader of a nation,
or became the wealthiest person alive. Would the attainment of one
of these goals fulfill you? Only if it were the will of God. If
not, it would be an empty and meaningless act.
Begin by looking within. Do you see the desire within you to do
great things? Hopefully you do. From there, remind yourself that
the greatest thing you can do, so as to fulfill the desire within
you, is to do that which is the will of God for your life. Jesus
says, “If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.” Asking
in Jesus’ name means asking for the fulfillment of His will. It
means asking that God use you to bring His saving grace to others
any way He chooses. If you ask our Lord for this grace, He will
grant it.
This form of prayer requires humility and a complete detachment
from our own will. It requires that we ask the Father only for that
which the Son asks the Father for us. But the reward of such a
humble prayer is that God will bestow His grace and mercy on others
through us. This is His perfect will.
Reflect, today, upon this high calling. Do so by looking at the
desire within your own soul for greatness and then unite that
desire with God’s will as the only thing that can fulfill you. Pray
for this gift every day with humility and detachment and you will
become an instrument of acts that give eternal glory to God. In
Heaven, this will be your eternal joy.
Providential Lord, Your will is perfect and glorious. Please
help me to humble myself before You, every day, so that I will
understand Your will for my life and choose it always. May I be an
instrument of Your saving grace to all whom You wish to touch
through me. Jesus, I trust in You.
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Featured images above: Saints Peter and John Healing the Lame Man
By Nicolas Poussin, via Wikimedia Commons
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