Let's imagine that a thousand people scattered around the world serve the Holy Spirit to fulfill his word, his promise, his prophecy. With divine wisdom He moves them, each in his time, so that He is in the place where his word, his promise, his prophecy must be fulfilled, come alive. Therefore, the greatest obedience, submission, listening to each of His motions is needed. Jesus is moved by the Spirit and the heavenly Father accomplishes His will with divine greatness. Mary and Joseph are also moved by obedience to the Law, so in this way the Spirit of the Lord can fulfill all His promises. Obedience is the principle of salvation. What was once said of wisdom, which is the beginning of everything, in the New Testament it must be referred to obedience and to every motion of the Spirit of the Lord.
To obey the law, Mary and Joseph take the child to the temple to offer Him to the Lord. He was always offered and rescued in obedience to the Law. In obedience to the motion of the Holy Spirit, Old Simeon also presents himself to the temple. The two obediences meet. The prophecy is fulfilled. The promise is fulfilled. Simeon sees the Messiah, takes Him in his arms, reveals His truth to those present. Jesus is the light to illuminate the people with the purest truth of the Father. He is the glory of His people, Israel. He is the sign of contradiction so that the thoughts of many hearts are revealed. Simeon also sees the Mother of Jesus and prophesies the martyrdom of her soul. Everything happens by obedience to the Law and the Spirit of God.
Anyone who wants to be an instrument, a sacrament, a way through which the Lord today carries out salvation for all His creatures is obliged to live the two obediences: obedience to the Law, to the Gospel, to the Word, obedience to the motion of the Holy Spirit. However, no one expects to obey the motion of the Spirit of God if he does not obey the Law, the Gospel, the Word. It is the obedience to the Word that disposes the heart to the motion of the Spirit. If the first obedience is nonexistent, the second obedience will also be nonexistent. Without obedience to the Gospel we put God in great difficulty. He cannot work His redemption to the fullest of his grace and truth. Because of the disobedience of many people, many people do not come to the obedience of faith.
In the passage from September 1, 1899, Jesus tells Luisa that Obedience was everything for Him, and He wants obedience to be everything for Luisa.
Obedience made Jesus be born, obedience made Him die. The wounds He has on His body are all wounds and marks that obedience made to Him. Luisa rightly defined obedience like a most powerful warrior, armed with all kinds of weapons which are apt to wound. In fact, in Jesus, Obedience left not even a drop of blood; she tore His flesh to pieces; she dislocated His bones, while His poor Heart, exhausted and bleeding, kept looking for a relief from one who would have compassion for Him. Acting with Jesus as more than a cruel tyrant, only then was obedience content, when she sacrificed Him on the Cross and saw Him breathe His last, as victim for her love.
And why this? Because the office of this most powerful warrior is to sacrifice souls; therefore, she does nothing but wage a fierce war against those who do not sacrifice themselves completely for her. So, she does not care whether the soul suffers or enjoys, whether she lives or dies; her eyes are intent on looking at whether she wins, because in other things she meddles not. So, the name of this warrior is “victory”, because she concedes all victories to the obedient soul; and when it seems that she dies, then does true life begin.
Through Obedience Jesus conquered death, He defeated hell, He released man from his chains, He opened Heaven; and like a victorious King, He took possession of His Kingdom – not only for Himself, but for all His children who would profit from Redemption. It is true that Obedience cost Him His life, but the name ‘obedience’ resounds sweetly to His hearing, and this is why He has so much love for obedient souls.