Theologian Bernard Haring tells the moving story of his visit to a little Church in Bavaria where he had been invited to preach. He says that as he went into the Church for the first time, he felt something.
That something is what happens in certain Churches; you can feel the Presence, the Grace.
And, as the particular congregation worshipped, this very feeling came over Haring again. Once more, it happened when the people began talking with one another as they left the Church sanctuary following the service, prompting Haring to search for the secret of this wonderful atmosphere.
Perhaps, he thought, it was the pastor or his assistants? But the pastor said, "No. It isn't us. Come, I'll show you."
The pastor promptly took Haring to the nearby home of an older woman who had been crippled by arthritis for 25 years. She had become so disabled that she was unable even to feed herself. But, as they walked into her room, Haring said he again felt this deep sense of Divine Presence.
During their subsequent conversation, the woman said, "Praise God, that I can offer up this small suffering toward the Redemption of the world." As they were leaving the little house, the pastor turned to Haring and said, "That is the secret of the vital life of our parish. That is the secret."
What a beautiful thing it is! It is a practical, down-to-earth secret for a successful life! It opens so many beautiful vistas. It means that today, right now, we can begin a whole new attitude that can and will add richness to our lives and others. We can be alert to situations presented to us that have potential for fulfillment and the realization of purpose for us.
I need not elaborate...You know what I'm getting at. It is implicit. It's just like going to church and picking up on that feeling.
...and allowing the Devine Passion within us to shine through.
"What is success?" asked essayist/philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. "Success," he said, "was to know even one life has breathed easier because you lived. This is to have succeeded."
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