Father John Taurlerus relates of himself that after having for many years prayed for the Lord to send someone to instruct him in the true spiritual life, he one day heard a voice saying to him to, " Go to the church and you will find what you are looking for."
On reaching the church, he finds at the gate a beggar, barefooted and with scarcely a rag on his back. he salutes him: "Good day, my friend." The poor man replies, " Sir, I do not remember ever have had a bad day." The father rejoins, 'God grant you a happy life." to which he answers, "But I have never been unhappy." And then he goes on to say , "Listen, my father; it is not without reason that I have told you that I have never had a bad day; because when I suffer hunger, I praise God; when it snows or rains I bless him; if I am treated with contempt, or repulsed by any, or if I experience misfortunes of any kind, I always give glory to my God for it. I said , besides, that I have never been unhappy, and this is also true; because it is my habit to desire, without reservation, all that God desires; therefore, in all that happens to me, whether it be pleasant or painful, I receive it from His hands with joy, as being what is best for me; and herein lies my happiness. "And if it should ever happen," says Taurlerus, ' That God willed you to be damned, what would you say then?" " If God were to will this," replied the beggar, I would, with all humility and love, lock myself so fast in my Lord's embrace, and hold Him so tight, that if it were to be His will to cast me down to hell, he would be obliged to come along with me; and thus, with Him, it would then be sweeter to me to be in hell than to possess without Him all the enjoyments of Heaven."
"Where was it that you found God?" said the father. "I found Him where I took leave of the creatures," was the reply. " Who are you?" the poor man answered, "I am a king." "And where is your kingdom?" It is within my soul, where I keep everything in due order; the passions are subjected to the reason to God." In conclusion Taurlerus asked him what it was that led him to so high a degree of perfection? " It has been silence." said he, observing silence with man, in order to hold converse with God; and also the union which I have maintained with my Lord, in whom I have found, and still do find, all my peace." Such in short, had this poor man become through his union with the divine will ; and certainly he was, in all his poverty, more wealthy than all the monarchs of the earth, and in his sufferings more happy than the men of the world with their earthly pleasures.
I want to fall in love you by Jars of Clay
Blessings,
Karri
Hi Karri,
ReplyDeleteI loved your posting. It's so inspiring and reassuring that once we abandon to the will of God, He'll shower us with peace and aceptance in the midst of our sorrows. I also once read this small parragraph that I liked very much:
This practice of comformity to His will is so pleasing to God that it often has a visible influence on the material things of life. There is a story in the Lives of the Desert Fathers of a laborer whose fields always gave better crops than those of his neighbors. When asked the reason he replied that he always had whatever kind of season or weather he chose. "I never wish for any other kind of weather but what God wishes" he explained, "and as I wish for everything that pleases God, He too gives me the sort of crop that pleases me."