A Few Simple Secrets

There is a story from long ago that I really love. A young novice had entered a monastery run by a wise abbot. One day the abbot told his monks that he was going to share a secret teaching with them that would bring them lasting peace and happiness, but if they shared it with anyone else they would be expelled from the monastery. The next day several of the older monks saw the young novice sharing the secret teaching with everyone in a nearby town. They ran back and told the abbot what they had saw. The abbot just smiled and said, "I can teach this young novice nothing further. He is already an abbot in his own right."

In the spirit of that young novice then I have a few simple secrets that I would love to share with you today. In truth, they aren’t really secrets. Everyone knows them in their hearts even when they don’t accept them in their minds. Like that young novice, though, once I welcomed them into my soul I couldn’t wait to share them with all of you. Here then are a few simple secrets from a student of life who is still learning.

God loves you. God loves you even when you don’t love Him back. God loves you with a love so powerful and eternal that nothing can destroy it. And you can love too. You can choose love. You can share love. You can pray for love. You can learn of love. You can grow in oneness with God’s love each and everyday of your life here. And when you love, you will have joy. You will have the lasting peace and happiness we all search for and want. Then no matter what troubles you deal with or tragedies you go through you will know God is with you and you will face them with love.

The secrets of life are simple but never easy. Do your best then to learn them, live them, and share them with everyone you can. Be the eager student and loving teacher of life always.

~ Joseph J. Mazzella ~

[ by: Joseph J. Mazzella Copyright © 2010 (joecool@wirefire.com) -- submitted by: Joseph Mazzella ]