This video is brought to you by—

The Dynamic Catholic Ambassadors Club.

You're awesome.

Your greatest ability is your availability.

Okay. And then go.

The grace of God is transformative. Merciful. Available.

Mysterious.

You are a miracle.

God has given us so many fabulous gifts. Life, free will, ability to dream. We've spoken about the gift of life and ability to dream. Now it's time to explore the incredible gift of free will. Free will, in and of itself, is a miracle. Every time you make a choice, you are participating in that miracle. It could be the most trivial choice between two drinks. And still, that is a miracle in action. Free will is a miracle. It is the gift that allows us to collaborate with God's grace. It is the gift that makes it possible for us to accept or reject His plan for our lives. Why is free will a miracle? Consider who God is.

He is the all-powerful creator of the universe. He lacks nothing. He does not need human beings to exist. He does not need anything. And yet, He makes us in His image and bestows on us the gift of free will. We've said many times on this journey that nothing is impossible for God. That is actually not true in this instance. Let me explain. It is impossible for God to break His promises or go against His own Word. By giving us the gift of free will, God makes a promise. He cannot violate or override our freedom. Otherwise, we wouldn't be truly free.

Even when we choose to use that freedom to turn away from God, He is bound to honor the gift He gave us. What's the biggest risk you have ever taken? Something probably comes to mind. But the biggest risk any of us take is to love. Love is a risk. That's why it hurts so much when our love gets rejected, and our hearts get broken. Remember, we were made in the image of God. It's not just a line in the Bible. This truth manifests in our lives a thousand times a day. God took an enormous risk giving us free will. And how many times have we rejected His love and broken His heart?

Human history stands as a testament to the many ways we have found to use this gift of free will to destroy ourselves, harm other people, and violate God's sacred order. It would have been simpler for God to create perfectly obedient beings with no choice but to live in harmony with his beautiful divine plan. So why didn't He? Why did God take the risk? The same reason we take the risk. Love. Love is only possible with freedom. Freedom is a prerequisite for love. Love is life's great joy and her greatest lesson. Love is the essence of life. Love is the one task worthy of the sacred intent of our humanity.

God, in in his perfect wisdom, deemed that all the evil and suffering we would inflict in this world with our freedom was worth it because that freedom made love possible. Creatures designed to be perfectly obedient could never receive God's love and return it to him. They could not freely choose to share that love with other people. But we can. That is the great miracle. And it is a great responsibility. Every miracle we have discussed after the miracle of creation has been made possible by the gift of free will. These miracles are marvelous examples of God collaborating with simple human beings who made themselves wholly available to him. You must be free in order to love because to love is to give yourself to someone or something freely, completely, unconditionally, and without reservation. It is as if you could take the essence of your very self in your hands and give it to another person. Yet to give yourself to another person, to an endeavor, or to God, you must first possess yourself. This possession of self is freedom. It is a prerequisite for love and is attained through discipline. If there is no discipline, there is no love. Discipline is the key to freedom. When you think of the word discipline, what comes to mind? For many people, it is an over demanding teacher or a controlling parent. Try to set that notion of discipline aside and think of the discipline an athlete freely chooses to bring the best out of himself or herself. Nobody can give you discipline or make you disciplined. Discipline is a gift we give ourselves. Learning to discipline ourselves is one of life's great challenges. We live in a culture where gratification seems to be the master of most people's hearts, minds, bodies, and souls. This makes acquiring discipline harder. We find ourselves enslaved by a thousand different whims, cravings, addictions, and attachments. We have subscribed to the adolescent notion that freedom is the ability to do whatever you want, wherever you want, whenever you want, without interference from any authority. Could the insanity of our modern worldview be any more apparent? Freedom is not the ability to do whatever you want. Freedom is the strength of character to do what is good, true, right, and noble. Freedom is the ability to choose and celebrate the best version of yourself in every moment of every day. Freedom without discipline is impossible. Discipline builds the interior freedom required for love. Love of self, love of others, and love of God. It allows us to choose the best version of ourselves, not once, but again and again and again. Discipline protects the miracle of our freedom. Freedom allows us to love, and love is our ultimate participation in the miraculous, wonderful, gracious will of God. So as we approach the moment when you will consecrate your life, surrendering all that you have and all that you are, offering yourself as a vessel of God's grace, I place these questions before you. Will you honor the miracle of your freedom which God has given you by developing the discipline necessary to exercise that freedom? Will you use that freedom day after day to choose love? Throughout history, there is one thing that mankind has been willing to fight and die for in every culture. Freedom. Your war isn't on some distant battlefield. The battle takes place in your heart each day. It is a fierce battle. And at the end of each day, you either possess more freedom or are more enslaved. Choose freedom and choose love.

Trust.

Surrender.

Believe.

Receive.

Don't let the world steal your wonder.

In today's lesson, free will is one of God's greatest miracles. It allows us to collaborate with His grace and makes us capable of love. Discipline sets our freedom in motion so that we can choose what is good, right, just and loving. Every disciplined choice is an act of cooperation with God. And every act of love is a miracle made possible by freedom. And today's virtue, self-control. Self-control is the virtue that allows freedom to mature into love. It is not repression or rigidity, but the interior strength to govern desires rather than be governed by them. Through self-control, we learn to choose what is good, true, and loving, even when it is difficult. This virtue protects our freedom, trains our will, and makes us capable of lasting love. Without self-control, freedom dissolves into impulse. With it, our choices become a collaboration with God's grace, and everyday miracles begin to unfold. Today, I want to invite you to take the surrender assessment. Set aside a few minutes. Be patient with the process. This thing is going to change your life. I know I've said that a couple of times throughout this Lenten journey. This thing is going to change so many lives. Every Christian on the planet should take this assessment. We should be talking about our results, reading through the reports we get back, studying the reports, taking them to prayer, praying. Pray with the report. Don't just get the report and read it there on your screen. Get the report. Print it out. Take it to your prayer. Talk to God about The Surrender Assessment and what it's calling you to. God bless you. Have a great day and remember, Be Bold, Be Catholic.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.

God of miracles, wonders, and grace—

I thank you for all the good you have done in my life.

For the miracles I recognize—

And the many graces—

I so often overlook.

I open my heart completely to you today.

Inviting you—

To completely inhabit my soul—

So that through me—

Others may encounter your love—

Your mercy—

Your compassion—

Your kindness—

And your staggering generosity.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you, Ambassadors. You are changing the world.

Have a great day.

Have a great day.

Have a great day