Be Careful What You Pray For

Thomas Merton tells an interesting story in his book, The Spring of Contemplation. It goes as follows:

The Retreat Master, in one of his conferences, told us a long story of a man who had once come to Gethsemane, and who had not been able to make up his minhd to become a monk, and hadfought and prayed about it for days. Finally, went the story, he had made the Sttions of the Cross, and at the final station had prayed feverently to e allowed thegrace of dying in the order. "You know," said the Retreat master, "They say that no petition you ask at the fourteenth station is ever refused." In ancy case, the man finished his prayer, went back to his room, and in an hour or so collapsed, and they had jsut time to receive his request for admission to the order when he died. He lies buried in teh monks' cemetery in the oblate's habit.