twopence-halfpenny. He greeted this poor man and said to him, God
give thee a good morning. The poor man answered, I never had a bad
morning. The other said, God give thee happiness. How answerest thou
that? The poor man answered, I was never unhappy. The first then
said, God send thee blessedness. How answerest thou that? I was
never unblessed, was the answer. Lastly the questioner said, God
give thee health! Now enlighten me, for I cannot understand it. And
the poor man replied, When thou saidst to me, may God give thee a
good morning, I said I never had a bad morning. If I am hungry, I
praise God for it; if I am cold, I praise God for it; if I am
distressful and despised, I praise God for it; and that is why I
never had a bad morning. When thou askedst God to give me happiness,
I answered that I had never been unhappy; for what God gives or
ordains for me, whether it be His love or suffering, sour or sweet,
I take it all from God as being the best, and that is why I was
never unhappy. Thou saidst further, May God make thee blessed, and I
said, I was never unblessed, for I have given up my will so entirely
to God's will, that what God wills, that I also will, and that is
why I was never unblessed, because I willed alone God's will. Ah!
dear fellow, replied the man; but if God should will to throw thee
into hell, what wouldst thou say then? He replied, Throw me into
hell! Then I would resist Him. But even if He threw me into hell, I
should still have two arms wherewith to embrace Him. One arm is true
humility, which I should place under Him, and with the arm of love I
should embrace Him. And he concluded, I would rather be in hell and
possess God, than in the kingdom of heaven without Him. (623)

DETACHMENT

THE man who has submitted his will and purposes entirely to God,