Saint John of Tobolsk the Wonderworker (+1715)
Once, Christ’s disciples asked
Him: “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). And He gave them the well-known
Lord’s Prayer (cf. Matt. 6:9–13; Luke 11:2–4), which, among its other
petitions, includes this one: “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in the
heavens.”
But, some will say, how is it
possible for the will of God to be done on earth by men, as it is done in
heaven by the angelic powers? We differ greatly from the angels. They live in
heaven, whereas we, driven from Paradise, live on earth, in this vale of tears,
surrounded by all the afflictions of this earthly life. They dwell in
surroundings where wondrous order, undisturbed peace, majestic beauty, divine
harmony, and grace prevail—in short, in surroundings where nothing opposes the
will of God, and for this reason they fulfill it with ease.
By contrast, we find ourselves in
adverse surroundings, where successive misfortunes weigh us down, the cares of
life distract us, our daily labors exhaust us, various illnesses afflict us,
and the many impious persecute us, distress us, and mock us, placing obstacles
in the way of our fulfilling the will of God. The angels are immortal,
powerful, and by grace steadfast in virtue, whereas we are mortal, weak, and
prone to sin.
How, then, can we fulfill the
will of God as they do? And how can we say to God, “Thy will be done, as in
heaven, so on earth”? This would be possible only if we too lived in heaven.
Is that really so? Certainly not!
We do not fail to do the will of God because we live on earth and not in
heaven. The true reason why the will of God is not fulfilled here as it is
there is not external but internal: we are spiritually lukewarm and do not
struggle zealously to keep the divine commandments. We love sin and easily fall
into its snares. The slightest temptation unsettles us, bends us, and crushes
us.
And yet, my brethren, no
commandment of the Lord exceeds our strength, so that we are unable to fulfill
it. But in every case, even if our strength is insufficient to do the will of
God on earth exactly as the angels do it in heaven, then even our sincere
intention to fulfill it will be regarded by the all-good Lord as a completed
deed.
When we pray to God, saying, “Thy
will be done, on earth as it is in the heavens” we must have the proper
disposition of soul.
First, we must pray with a
good and sincere intention, wholeheartedly desiring to fulfill the will of God,
not from self-interest, in order to obtain the blessings of heaven or to avoid
the torments of Gehenna, but solely because our heart desires what God desires
and nothing else.
Second, we must pray with
love for God, from which there should spring the desire to fulfill His will, so
that through our deeds His name may be glorified.
Third, we must pray with
unreserved determination to fulfill the will of God fully and without delay.
Fourth, we must pray with
gladness and joy in fulfilling the will of God, for He “loves a cheerful giver”
(2 Cor. 9:7).
Greek
source:
