Lenten reflection: Asking God to “Be My Captain” with Jacob Rudd

When preparing for a long 40-day voyage, it is essential for a crew to know and trust their captain. He holds a pivotal position on any ship, and not just as a source of commands. Captains are imbued with wisdom on the perils of sea travel. They are responsible for the lives of every sailor, for the proper maintenance of the vessel, and for protecting the precious cargo it bears. On top of all that it is the captain’s duty to hold the crew together, even when the storms threaten to sink the ship into the briny deep. 

Jacob sat down with Aleteia to discuss “Be My Captain” and explained how our Lenten voyages can be made more fulfilling when we ask God to guide our ships. 

Jacob Rudd: I think it begins by casting off the mainstream idea that you are in charge and control of your life. Are we willing to let Jesus lead us? Are we willing to follow His rules and directions? Or do we want to throw Him off the ship because His ways are too hard and His teachings too restrictive? 

I think it takes humility, trust, and self-denial to have Jesus as our Captain. We put our lives in His hands and we trust that He will lead us safely home. My son at home loves pretending to be a pirate and making his siblings walk the plank (and has gotten in trouble for pushing his sibling off the couch, haha). But seriously, don’t let the flesh, the devil, and the world conspire in your soul to push Jesus out.

I believe praying to the Holy Spirit every day is a must. I do a short prayer each day: “Holy Spirit, help me to be obedient to Your every prompting, set me on fire with love for Jesus.” Throughout the day, just praying “Come, Holy Spirit” sporadically can be very helpful.

I also think learning and reflecting from past mistakes is key. HALT is a good acronym: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired. During these moments, it is easier to give in to the weakness of our flesh. Be on guard during those times! Know yourself and prepare. 

It can be the same with certain moments and situations. Our emotions and senses are off and it is easy to lose wisdom. We think of only the present moment. We are like Esau ready to give up our birthright for a bowl of soup. Don’t be like Esau! Yes, that story speaks to me a lot since my name is Jacob.

In the calm waters, I think it is very pleasing to God to give thanks for all of your blessings. For me, I have so much to be thankful for. I have a beautiful family … My work is to create music … God has been providing for me through this work … I have relatively good health… For friends and family, etc. 

So be aware that all is a gift from God. When we are in good health and all is well we need to let our lights shine! Let us use our gifts and energy to do something beautiful for God and those in need.

Also, it is important to remember that when you are in spiritual consolation or just feeling like everything is going well in life, know that it is not going to last forever. Desolations will come. Bad things or news will happen. So prepare yourself. Secondly, during the desolations or bad news, remember that these are not permanent, but consolations and good things are soon to come.

May God bless you and give you peace! Thanks for reading and checking out my music!

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