“But, will He retreat? . . . No, from the very beginning He embraces everything without reservation. Why then and whence this terror? Ah! He has exposed His humanity as a target to take upon Himself all the blows of divine justice offended by sin” (Padre Pio, aka St. Pio of Pietrelcina).

Jesus’ agony in the garden before his passion—the first Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary—is an example of perfect surrender.

Notably, this perfect surrender still asks for the relief of suffering. Jesus asks the Father to allow His passion not to occur (Luke 22:42; Matthew 26:39, 42; Mark 14:36). Being fully human, Jesus did not want to suffer any more than we do. Being fully divine, He immediately followed this prayer with His own fiat: “Thy will be done.”

We are called not just to follow Jesus but to imitate Him, including in these most difficult moments of His life. When we experience pain (be it physical, emotional, or spiritual), when we face situations that try our faith, when we feel alone in our own dark gardens … we can ask for God to “take this cup” from us—and we can receive from Him the strength to drink from it if He insists.

This Lent, Catholic Women in Business will be exploring the theme of surrendering to God in our content. We invite you to pray and meditate with us on the courage and humility of Jesus Christ and His model of perfect faith and trust in the Father.

Taryn DeLong is a Catholic wife and mother in North Carolina who serves as co-president and editor-in-chief of Catholic Women in Business. Her first book, written with her co-president Elise Crawford Gallagher, will be out in fall 2024 from Ave Maria Press. Connect with Taryn: Instagram • Facebook • LinkedIn • Blog • Substack