The Great Promise

Isn’t it too bad that Adam and Eve sinned? You see, if they had only obeyed God, there never would have been anything but happiness in the world. There would be no wars, no suffering of any kind and best of all, we should never die. When God created our souls He would have clothed them in sanctifying grace so that we too should have been His adopted children, and then after a while, we should go to Heaven without dying. And our minds would be clear and we’d know everything we need to know and wouldn’t have to go to school. Moreover, it would be easy to be good.

But all is very different now. Because we are Adam’s and Eve’s children, we are all born with a sin on our soul. This is called original sin, for it comes down to us from our first parents.

The first sin not only closed the gates of the Garden of Paradise, but also the gates of Heaven. Only God’s adopted children are in Heaven.

What could Adam and Eve do to get back sanctifying grace? Nothing. What could they do to open the gates of Heaven? Nothing. Then can none of us go to Heaven?

God is so tender and kind that as Adam and Eve left the garden, crying, He had pity on them and told them that some day a woman would be born who would have a Son so great that He would open again the gates of Heaven. This promise was Adam’s and Eve’s only joy through the rest of their long lives.

Because this woman’s Son, called the Redeemer, was going to come, God gave back to Adam and Eve sanctifying grace and He also gave this grace to many persons after them. But until the Redeemer came, Heaven was locked and the good people that died had to wait in a place called Limbo.

We must not blame Adam and Eve for everything. The world would be very pleasant if each person stopped sinning right now. And no matter what other people do, you and I shall always be happy, if we keep sin out of our own hearts.

Do you wish you could have Adam’s chance? You have just about as good a chance right now. Adam was in the garden and could have stayed if he had not sinned. You and I are not in the garden, but if we don’t sin, we can get into a far more beautiful garden which is Heaven and once there, there will be no danger of our ever being put out.

I think I’d rather work my way into the garden and be sure of staying when I got there than be born in the garden and run the risk of being driven out.

Before Adam and Eve sinned, neither lions nor tigers nor wolves nor any other animals harmed them. And if we do not sin, nothing can harm us—neither headaches nor toothaches nor measles nor whooping-cough nor death itself. The only real harm is what hurts our soul, and sin is the only thing that does that.

Now I didn’t say that toothaches don’t hurt, but they can do us a great deal of good if we want them to. I’ll tell you how.

Have you ever watched bees hurrying from flower to flower? They empty each one of its honey and never waste a second. They are not feeding, for they will carry home every drop and store it away. The bees do not care for the flowers; it is only the honey they are after, and they know how to gather sweetness even from the bitterest plants.

Each of you can be a little bee and make honey all day long. Each day will be filled with flowers, but whether roses or thistles, don’t miss one. If you have a toothache, say: “All for Thee, my God,” and at once God will put by something nice for you that you will enjoy forever when you get to Heaven, and this is the way you will draw honey from something very bitter. When you go to school, say: “All for Thee, my God,” and there will be more honey stored away in Heaven. Whatever you do, whether you eat or play or work or are sick, say: “All for Thee, dear God.” What an enormous honeycomb you will be able to make. This is the kind of honey God likes. Aren’t you glad that you can make something for Him?

How happy you will be when God shows you what you were storing up for yourselves when you gave to Him everything you did.

I once went to see a little girl who was sick. Her name was Mary. When I was leaving I said to her: “I hope you will soon be well, Mary.” She answered: “As God wants.” How God must have loved that little girl, for she only wanted what He wanted.

I knew another little girl who had to work very hard at home. She told me that when she did the washing she kept saying: “All for Thee, my God,” as she jumped up and down to rub the clothes on the washboard.

That little girl knew how to make honey.