At Renewal Ministries’ 2017 Gathering, Sr. Ann Shields discussed the need for “our faith to grow” and “our roots to go deep.”

“There’s a way it’s easier to live in faith when the world supports you,” she said. “But that’s not the case right now. Ask God every day: ‘Increase my faith.’”

Sr. Ann’s recommendation for deepening faith include reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Scripture, going to Reconciliation, and receiving the Eucharist.

Sr. Ann explained that following Jesus and His Word allows His light to shine in us. She shared almost a dozen Scripture verses that supported the theme of doing the Father’s will, which can be viewed here.

She shared a quote from Sr. Ruth Burrows on faith, which describes it as “a sustained decision to take God with utter seriousness as the God of my life. . . . (and) a decision to shift the center of our lives from ourselves to Him, to forgo self-interest and to make His interest, His will our sole concern.”

Sr. Ann asked, “Is our life filled with adoration and worship of God? Or is it kept to something we think we can handle?”

She continued, “The Lord says, ‘Open your heart to me, because I have so much to give you. But it has to be what He wants, how He wants—‘not my will, but yours be done.’”

“His will—that’s what brings life out of darkness,” concluded Sr. Ann. “When we’re able to say, ‘Lord, I give You my children, my marriage, my godchildren, my friends—be it done unto me according to Your word. It’s a hard prayer to pray, but my call is to surrender, and then He will use me, and then the light will shine in the darkness.”