Auxiliary Bishop Peter Smith of Portland, Oregon, has ministered in many roles, but he loves officiating at weddings. He said he often tells couples that their marriage is a wonderful act of freedom.
That usually prompts a surprised response. “They all look at me like I’ve got several heads on my shoulders,” he said. “When you marry someone and you make that commitment, that’s a stunning act of freedom that frees you completely to love, to serve, to give of yourself.”
In that sense, that commitment, that surrender, cuts off everything else, he said. “So now you’re all in and when you’re all in, that’s when you can give 100 percent.” The same is true for those in religious life, he said.
So, give to others, make sacrifices to the degree that God calls, he said. “And that’s what surrendering does.” In marriage, a man and woman surrender their lives to each other, he said.
Bishop Smith, a South Africa native who lived in the Twin Cities for six years before joining seminary, used the example of the married couple when he recently joined “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley to discuss surrendering to Jesus, which is the topic of his speech during the upcoming Summer Speaker Series July 26-27 hosted by the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Office in the Twin Cities.
He summarized the focus of his talk this way: When people think of surrender on a human level, people think of defeat, giving up or no hope. But the Catholic and Christian notion of surrender is quite different, he said. Those circumstances might be part of it, but it’s much more expansive and positive, because surrender means recognizing something or someone far greater than oneself.
“And when we talk about surrendering to Jesus Christ, … (it) doesn’t matter how strong or weak we are, how successful or unsuccessful we are,” he said. “When we recognize that Christ is so much greater than we are, then that act of surrender is not a negative thing or a last-ditch thing. It’s a positive thing. It’s a protective thing. And so, reconfiguring our understanding of what it means to surrender, and in our own lives, our human lives of faith, we see that.”
To learn more about the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Office speaker series July 26 and July 27, and to register, visit archspm.org/events.
Born in South Africa, Bishop Smith lived in the Twin Cities for six years before he moved in 1996 to join the seminary. While in Minnesota, he made many friendships and was a parishioner at two parishes. To learn which ones and to hear the full interview, listen to this episode of the “Practicing Catholic” radio show. It airs at 9 p.m. July 16, 1 p.m. July 17 and 2 p.m. July 18 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes interviews with Jen Messing and Katelyn Filbrandt, who describe how the Frassati Society of Minnesota helps young adults meet God while exploring the wonders of creation, and Kelly Naas and Steve Walker, who describe what teens across the country are doing this summer at Catholic HEART Workcamp.
Listen to all of the interviews after they have aired at:
