The Hero's Surrender

"Jesus constantly told people to be awake (see Mark 13:33-37).  That's all the hero can do-is be ready.  If we set out to plan and create our own heroic path, it will be no more than our own heroic path, what we call ego.  That's the false hero, finally the anti-hero.  The real heroic path is created for us.  We know someone else is preparing it....
     When, finally, we are able to be open-and it takes work to be open-and when we can be awake-and it takes work to be awake, too-then we are on the true heroic journey of what we usually call the saint.
     What evolves is less and less control.  We sense that, more and more.  Someone else is for us, more than we are for ourselves.  All we can do is get out of the way.  We realize that this is a radically benevolent universe and it is on our side, despite the absurdity, despite the sin, despite the pain and the dead ends.  It will feel more like letting go than taking on.  Maybe that is why it is hard to accept."

Richard Rohr
Quest for the Grail