This Morning's Reflection

From Archabbot Lambert Reilly's book, Latin Sayings for Spiritual Growth, I gleaned these words.

Casus non datur. ("There is no such thing a chance") St. Thomas Aquinas

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"St. Paul says, 'We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose' (Romans 8:28). Yet sometimes it is difficult to apply this to our lives.

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Once my superior said to me, 'It's not good for you or the monastery for you to be stationed here presently.'

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Those words hurt me and I resented my new assignment away from the monastery. However, with the passage of time I learned there was something I had to learn and would not have if I had remained in the cloister. Praise God for the exile. Now at last I can say thanks for the directive of the abbot and acknowledge the hand of God working through him.

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Instead of asking why when something happens and giving voice to the atheist in us, we should ask, 'Lord, what do you want me to learn from this?' "

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I must say that I have had more than one opportunity to learn from given situations. Though none seem quite as drastic as Archabbot's experience. I have found that those times of personal growth are those when I asked, "Lord, what do you want me to learn from this?" and I could witness to the lesson in my life.

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Thanks be to God!