THE PRAYER OF THE FROG - PART ONE
AUTHOR Anthony de Mello
... 🙂
When Brother Bruno was at prayer one night he was disturbed by the croaking of a
bullfrog. All his attempts to disregard the sound were unsuccessful so he shouted
from his window, “Quiet! I’m at my prayers.”
Now Brother Bruno was a saint so his command was instantly obeyed. Every living
creature held its voice so as to create a silence that would be favourable to
prayer.
But now another sound intruded on Bruno’s worship - an inner voice that said,
“Maybe God is as pleased with the croaking of that frog as with the chanting of
your psalms.” “What can please the ears of God in the croak of a frog?” was
Bruno’s scornful rejoinder. But the voice refused to give up: “Why would you think
God invented the sound?”
Bruno decided to find out why. He leaned out of his window and gave the order,
“Sing!” The bullfrog’s measured croaking filled the air to the ludicrous
accompaniment of all the frogs in the vicinity. And as Bruno attended to the
sound, their voices ceased to jar for he discovered that, if he stopped resisting
them, they actually enriched the silence of the night.
With that discovery Bruno’s heart became harmonious with the universe and, for the
first time in his life he understood what it means to pray.
... 🙂
THE PRAYER OF THE FROG - PART ONE
AUTHOR Anthony de Mello
... 🙂
When Brother Bruno was at prayer one night he was disturbed by the croaking of a
bullfrog. All his attempts to disregard the sound were unsuccessful so he shouted
from his window, “Quiet! I’m at my prayers.”
Now Brother Bruno was a saint so his command was instantly obeyed. Every living
creature held its voice so as to create a silence that would be favourable to
prayer.
But now another sound intruded on Bruno’s worship - an inner voice that said,
“Maybe God is as pleased with the croaking of that frog as with the chanting of
your psalms.” “What can please the ears of God in the croak of a frog?” was
Bruno’s scornful rejoinder. But the voice refused to give up: “Why would you think
God invented the sound?”
Bruno decided to find out why. He leaned out of his window and gave the order,
“Sing!” The bullfrog’s measured croaking filled the air to the ludicrous
accompaniment of all the frogs in the vicinity. And as Bruno attended to the
sound, their voices ceased to jar for he discovered that, if he stopped resisting
them, they actually enriched the silence of the night.
With that discovery Bruno’s heart became harmonious with the universe and, for the
first time in his life he understood what it means to pray.
... 🙂