"Whoever
expresses profound gratitude to God, even for the least benefits received,
praises God wondrously, for He, who has granted these benefits, is supremely
great. Hence, you ought not to look upon what the Most High has freely and
lovingly granted you as something trifling or of little worth. God neither
seeks nor asks anything more of us than that we willingly love Him, avoid all
that offends Him, and always and everywhere to give Him thanks. God highly
values the man who out of true humility belittles and forgets himself, judges
himself unworthy of all gifts and benefits, does not flaunt them when received,
and does not seek the praise of others. ... Blessed is he who humbly accepts
afflictions from the hand of God as did Job and offers and abandons himself
totally to the divine will. Blessed is he who always seeks to follow that will
and chooses whatever is more pleasing to God; he who accepts the worst as the
best rejoices when he meets with insult and endures temporal afflictions,
knowing they are for his soul's benefit."
— Thomas à Kempis, Bountiful Goodness, p. 98-9
No comments:
Post a Comment