“My Lord and my God, take from me everything that keeps me from You. Give me everything that brings me closer to You. Let me no longer be mine, but entirely Yours.” (St. Nicholas of Flüe)
The last part of the prayer of St. Nicholas of Flüe corresponds to what, in Christian mysticism, is called the “Way of Unification,” the final stage of the spiritual journey. Here we aspire directly to the goal of our whole life: full unification with the Holy Trinity. Undoubtedly, this will only happen in all its fullness and without the slightest disturbance for us “ordinary mortals” in eternal life. However, there is a way to reach it: the conscious, unconditional, and permanent surrender to the love of our Father.
The two previous stages of the spiritual path—the purgative and the illuminative—have prepared the soul for unification with the Will of the Father, to the extent possible in our earthly life.
Jesus, by virtue of His divine nature, was completely united with the Will of the Father even as a man. In our case, unification with God can occur by virtue of grace.
If we docilely follow His guidance, the love of God poured into our hearts (cf. Rom 5:5) can transform us to the point that our “yes” to the Father’s Will is no longer just a submission of our will, but becomes our nourishment, as it was for Our Lord Jesus Christ (Jn 4:34), for our whole heart has awakened to this love.
How much a person can be transformed by God’s love if he cooperates! I once heard a preacher say that faithful angels fulfill the Divine Will willingly, completely, and immediately. The same can happen with us. Undoubtedly, it is a process that requires patience. We may suffer relapses and, at times, it may seem to us that we only advance slowly.
But it is a path of true joy, even if it does not always manifest itself in feelings, which are changeable, but in spiritual reality. It is a constant grace of our Father, who encourages us to walk our way to the end.