THE GOOD GOD WAS PLEASED TO PREPARE THE WAY FOR ME AND OPEN ALL HEARTS TO ME

As Eugene finally prepares to leave Rome, he looks back at God’s presence and blessing in all that he achieved in the city.

If I were not intimately convinced that the good God was pleased to prepare the way for me and open all hearts to me, it would truly be something for me to pride myself about, when seeing the eagerness, the esteem and affection that everyone has shown to me during my sojourn in this capital of the world. Thanks to the Lord, I have not been even tempted with this vile pride; but to say that I have not been satisfied and consoled by this welcome in general, would be to lie; on the contrary, I have experienced a habitual feeling of joy and gratitude for, I must tell you, from the workers, the brothers, etc. all the way up to the Pope, they have all vied with one another to see who would give me the most tangible signs of attachment or affection.

Letter to Henri Tempier, 16 April 1826, EO VII n 237

 

“Perhaps nothing helps us make the movement from our little selves to a larger world than remembering God in gratitude. Such a perspective puts God in view in all of life, not just in the moments we set aside for worship or spiritual disciplines. Not just in the moments when life seems easy.”   Henri Nouwen

This entry was posted in LETTERS and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

1 Response to THE GOOD GOD WAS PLEASED TO PREPARE THE WAY FOR ME AND OPEN ALL HEARTS TO ME

  1. Eleanor Rabnett, Oblate Associate says:

    “I have experienced a habitual feeling of joy and gratitude…” It is this very anchor in our lives, this very base which allows us to ‘be’ as stated by Henri Nouwen: ” Such a perspective puts God in view in all of life, not just in the moments we set aside for worship or spiritual disciplines. Not just in the moments when life seems easy.” This is, in my mind, the joy and freedom that St. Paul seems to operate out of, and it is here that we are able to join all of creation in praising God.

    I would hazard a guess it comes from perspective and attitude. Indeed “…the good God was pleased to prepare the way for me…”, but does not stop there for God then walks with me – in the times of great joy and times of struggle and pain. But even more greatly, in the times of the very ordinary of each day; be it as we ride the bus to work, stand in line at a checkout counter or wash up the dishes after dinner. How do we include, remember, think of God in the ordinary of the day. If we can remember to acknowledge that center of joy and thank God for it then we are well on our way to attaining that state of perfection that Eugene so often spoke of. The words almost seem trite as I look at the immensity of it. From a viewpoint of all that I have been given (with even more yet to come I am sure) – it is pretty awesome.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *