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Judith 12:17-18. "So Holofernes said to her 'Drink now, and be merry with us!' Judith said, 'I will drink now, my lord, because my life means more to me today than in all the days since I was born.'" 

 

This scene takes place in the tent in which Holofernes plans to seduce Judith, but she ends up killing him instead, thus saving her people from the threat of his army. Judith knows that this is the pivotal moment of her life; that she must keep her head about her and be deliberate and discerning in every word and action. She is completely "in focus" here, knowing that God has led her to this moment and will guide her as long as she remains in His will. She would not agree to a drink if she thought it would dull her senses one bit. Holofernes, on the other hand, is completely distracted by his lust for Judith - it is all he can think about. So his words of "Drink now, and be merry with us!" have an undertone of manipulation and deception, one that I'm certain Judith did not miss. But Judith has that drink, and explains why - she says she will drink because her life means more to her today than ever. Judith knows her actions and intentions in this tent will be the most important of her life. She is facing this moment with calm, and even a bit of celebration, because, I believe, she is facing it in the Divine Will.

 

As I mentioned before, I have been reading and learning about living in the Divine Will through the writings of Luisa Piccarreta (thanks to a wonderful group of women who have introduced me to it!). As soon as I started learning about it, I thought "Yes, this is it, this explains what I've been feeling and thinking." It reads and feels like Truth, and I am convinced it is. The Divine Will permeates everything - its kingdom is being constructed as we speak, whether we realize it or not. It is growing and spreading under the radar of most people right now. Since learning of it, and of the fact that now is the time God has chosen to bring it to all of humanity, my mind tries to fit everything into the Divine Will (and everything fits, as it should if it is true!). So when I read this today, I thought Judith is in touch with the Divine Will here, while Holofernes is worldly and clueless. This gives Judith all the power, and she knows it. She still has to act, and what she has to do is very frightening and difficult, but you can tell from her words that she is as cool as a cucumber.

 

This is what living in the Divine Will does for you! You become merged with God's will, not just doing His will, but in His will. So nothing, even the most difficult or painful of things, disturbs your inner peace. In the Divine Will, you know God has a plan and you know you are playing your part in it. You have given Him your will and asked for His in return. You trust Him completely to see you through every situation, knowing that all will play out exactly as He intends. Meanwhile, every action done in the Divine Will becomes divinized, because God is doing it with you. Everything done in the Divine Will helps build the kingdom!

 

Judith has a drink with Holofernes not because she needs the false comfort of alcohol, but because even that is an act in the Divine Will. She is toasting God, she is celebrating this moment to which God has led her. She is completely confident that whatever happens, the will of God will have been accomplished because she is in His will. She is tremendously brave and calm, and will win freedom for her people, and it all comes from giving herself completely to God. In this way, and in tis moment, Judith is a "type" for the Blessed Mother, who was so completely in the Divine Will that her inner peace was never disturbed, even during the tremendous suffering of her Son's Passion.

 

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During the month of May, Ken Johnson is posting the daily reflections from The Virgin Mary in the Kingdom of The Divine Will on his Substack, Not Saints Yet, for anyone who would like to dip their toes into the Divine Will. It is truly amazing and explains how Mary was in the Divine Will from the moment of her conception!