Father Albert Peyriguere is an inspiring letter writer of spiritual direction. Let us read one of his letters.

September 17, 1949

Another great loss in your life, another death. Our answer to God must always be the same as Job: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord”.

You are probably home again after taking care of your motherless little nephews. The school year will soon start, and you will be engaged in humble duties which require obedience only and no initiative; you will be nothing, just an insignificant little wheel. Oh! My dear child, it is so good to be nothing in men’s eyes, for then we are deeply imbedded in the truth, and we can harbor no illusions about ourselves. The attentions we receive can no longer give us swollen heads. Whether we are in an important or in a humble position, we are still nothing before God—it is easier to realize this when we are at the bottom,

And it is when we know ourselves to be “nothing” before God that we touch His heart. So many apostolic works are lasting and fruitful more because of the humble work of those at the bottom of the ladder than because of the outpourings of brains and activity from the top.

God first placed you at the top, but now wants to bury you in the foundations. Try to love being “nothing,” and don’t even ask if you can be more.

How mysterious are God’s plans that allows so many trials to overwhelm those who are dear to you. Yet they are still to be adored. God knows where your relatives are going along these rough roads, and also where you are going. And so, close your eyes, put your hand in His, and go on, sorrowfully but always with trust and love.

Disciple of Charles de Foucauld