The Power of Surrender

Insights from Don Dolindo's Biblical Commentary and Novena

In his profound commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke, particularly Chapter 12, Italian priest and theologian Don Dolindo Ruotolo (1882-1970) offers a powerful reflection on the importance of complete trust in God's providence. This theme of abandonment to the divine will is also the cornerstone of his famous Surrender Novena, a nine-day prayer that has brought comfort and peace to countless souls. By examining these two works side by side, we can gain a deeper understanding of the Christian call to surrender and its transformative effects on our lives.

In St Luke 12, Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool, a man who finds security in his abundant possessions and plans to build larger barns to store his wealth. Don Dolindo sees in this story a warning against the futility of placing our trust in material things, which are ultimately fleeting and uncertain. He writes:

“Everything in life is uncertain, except for trust in God. With tender words and marvelous comparisons, Jesus Christ encourages his disciples and Christians of all times to have such complete and unlimited trust in God as to make their character strong and unshakeable in any trial... Everything is precarious except for trust in God, following His Will, serving Him, and expecting from His goodness the sustenance and necessities of life.”

This radical trust in God's care is not a passive resignation, but an active choice to rely on His providence in all circumstances. As Don Dolindo points out, even the lilies of the field and the birds of the air are clothed and fed by God's hand (cf. Luke 12:24-28). How much more, then, will our heavenly Father provide for us, His beloved children?

“Behold the lilies of the field: they neither toil nor spin, yet God clothes them in a way that not even Solomon was clothed in his magnificence; now, if God takes care of the plants, will He not care of man who serves Him and trusts in Him?”

The rich fool's error, according to Don Dolindo, was not in his industriousness or planning for the future but in his self-reliance and lack of trust in God. By contrast, Jesus calls us to a childlike dependence on the Father, free from anxiety about tomorrow. This is the essence of the Surrender Novena, which Don Dolindo received through divine inspiration. In it, he encourages souls to place themselves entirely in God's hands, relinquishing all worries and fears:

“Why do you confuse yourselves by worrying? Leave the care of your affairs to me and everything will be peaceful. I say to you in truth that every act of true, blind, complete surrender to me produces the effect that you desire and resolves all difficult situations.” (Day 1)

The Novena challenges us to confront our innate desire for control and trust instead in God's loving plan for our lives. It is a call to abandon ourselves completely to His will, even when we cannot understand His ways:

“You see evil growing instead of weakening? Do not worry. Close your eyes and say to me with faith: 'Thy will be done, You take care of it.' I say to you that I will take care of it, and that I will intervene as does a doctor, and I will accomplish miracles when they are needed.” (Day 4)

This act of surrender is not a passive fatalism but a deep expression of faith. By entrusting ourselves entirely to God, we open ourselves to His grace and allow Him to work powerfully in our lives. As Don Dolindo writes in his commentary on Luke 12:

“Reflecting on God's pleasure in granting us His kingdom, establishing us as stewards in the world, and guiding us toward eternal life, brings such freedom and peace of mind that we become masters of the world, conquerors of life, and instruments of divine providence for others... Living not only abandoned to divine Providence but being its instruments through generosity, almsgiving, and aiding others, looking towards the eternal goods that no one can take from us means placing our hearts in Heaven, seeking an eternal treasure, and paying little attention to the violence or oppression of men.”

This is the great paradox of the Christian life: by surrendering our lives to God, we find true freedom and peace. As Don Dolindo assures us in the Surrender Novena:

“I perform miracles in proportion to your full surrender to me and to your not thinking of yourselves. I sow treasure troves of graces when you are in the deepest poverty. No person of reason, no thinker, has ever performed miracles, not even among the saints. He does divine works whosoever surrenders to God.” (Day 7)

The path of surrender is not always easy, as it requires a constant dying to self and a willingness to embrace the cross. But as Don Dolindo reminds us, it is precisely in our weakness and poverty that God's strength is made perfect (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:9). By abandoning ourselves to His will, we allow Him to work miracles in our lives and transform us into instruments of His love and grace.

In his commentary on St Luke 12, Don Dolindo reflects on the serenity that comes from entrusting oneself wholly to God's care:

“Being detached from everything, living always provisionally on earth, expecting everything from God, and working not so much to earn, but to fulfill His Will in the mission He gives us—this is the marvelous secret of a serene superiority of character and a deep peace that no one can disturb and no one can conquer.”

This peace is the fruit of a life surrendered to God, a life rooted in the unshakeable conviction of His love and providence. As Don Dolindo assures us in the Surrender Novena:

“Close your eyes and let yourself be carried away on the flowing current of my grace; close your eyes and do not think of the present, turning your thoughts away from the future just as you would from temptation. Repose in me, believing in my goodness, and I promise you by my love that if you say, ‘You take care of it,’ I will take care of it all; I will console you, liberate you and guide you.” (Day 8)

In a world marked by uncertainty, anxiety, and self-reliance, the message of Don Dolindo's biblical commentary and Surrender Novena is a balm for the weary soul. By abandoning ourselves entirely to God's loving providence, we find the peace and security that our hearts long for. As Don Dolindo so beautifully expresses:

“How moving it is to think: God takes special care of me, down to the hair on my head! To see a hair fall and think, 'It has not fallen without divine Will,' makes us feel fully in the arms of divine Providence and does not make life appear as a confusion of random or capricious events.”

May we have the courage to embrace this path of surrender, trusting in the goodness of our heavenly Father and allowing Him to work wonders in our lives. For, as Don Dolindo assures us, “Pray always in readiness to surrender, and you will receive from it great peace and great rewards” (Day 9).

O Blessed Mother Mary, gentle and humble of heart, we come before you today with a fervent plea. You who trusted so completely in God's plan, even when it surpassed all understanding (Luke 1:38), teach us to abandon ourselves to the divine will. Help us to cast all our anxieties upon the Lord, knowing that He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). May we, like the psalmist, say with confidence, "In peace, I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety" (Psalm 4:8). Intercede for us, dear Mother, that we may have the courage to surrender our lives to God, trusting that His plans for us are "plans for welfare and not for evil, to give [us] a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). Guide us along the path of childlike faith, that we may find our rest in Him and proclaim with joy, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want" (Psalm 23:1). Amen.

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If you would like to read more about Don Dolindo’s spirituality, check out my new book “Don Dolindo’s Spiritual Guidance”.

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