How God Answers Prayer

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 37, 30 September 1925, Page 17

How God Answers Prayer

MONK OF ST. BERNARD REPLIES TO AMERICAN TOURIST. 13 ; t - ' .• •• ■ The contrast between the irreligious cyni- • cism of the current “age of jazz” and thequiet faith which for over a thousand years has animated the Monks of St. Bernard in . their famous Hospice in the Alps, is illustrated in an article by Ernest Poole in an American journal. The story demonstrates the sorry showing made by modern materialistic flippancy when brought into comparison with the religious faith which has been responsible for saving the lives of so many Alpine travellers. • . ll?"' Mr. Poole tells of a journey across the Alps through the Pass of the Great St. Ber-1 nard, and of how, about ten miles from the - top of the Pass, he met an olid monk who accompanied him up the mountain-side to the Hospice. He relates the following incident which happened after they reached the Hospice : “Warmed and drowsy and comfortable,.we went into the library to smoke. And here I found my tall old monk. He seemed to. me much older now —weary, perhaps, from' his twenty-mile trip. But as I joined the group around him 1 heard him say to one of them; “ ‘ How much finer and better it is to cross the range up here by the Pass than to go through the smoky tunnel below. In Summer it is splendid here, and also in Winter there are days when the glory of God seems to come down. And even in snowstorms it is safe. For you see that telephone on the Avail.’ He pointed to an instrument like the one I had seen below. The wire goes to an inn,’ he said, 'ten miles lower down the Pass. And in times of storm, when a traveller leaves the inn, they telephone to us up here, and one of us goes down with the dogs. So Ave reach him before he is overcome. lf “ ‘ But are no lives still lost in Winter?’, inquired a young American. “ ‘ Nonot a life in many years.’ ! The tall old man was silent a moment. Then in a. reverent tone he said, ‘ For over 1000 years, my son, we have prayed for the safety of travellers here. And He has anwered our prayers at last.’ ' . - “ The smart young American asked, ‘ Was) it the telephone?’ - . - ,v t y ! i'\ “The old mountain climber turned and •looked at the Yankee with quiet eyes. V “ Yes, my sonthat is how God answered our prayers.’” ‘ -