Smile of the Sun - 太陽のほほえみ
生前ハヤット神父が寄稿されたお話しを英語と日本語で毎月お届けします。
Once Is Enough!
When I was a boy, I was very fond of ice cream. Since our family was poor, we had few opportunities to eat it. Even when we were able to buy some, the amount which each child received was small. I often thought that it would be wonderful if I, just once, had a chance to eat as much ice cream as I wanted.
The chance came one summer on the occasion of a school picnic. Someone had donated a large amount of ice cream for the picnic and each of us was allowed to eat as much as he desired. The picnic was on the shore of a lake where boats were available for the use of the students. A friend and I took a large amount of ice cream, got into a boat and started to row to the middle of the lake. When we arrived there, we stopped the boat, and began to eat the little boxes of ice cream.
The first few boxes were delicious. As we continued to eat, we began to feel strange. The very thought of eating more of it made us feel sick, so we stopped eating and sat there silently looking at each other.
This event took place many years ago, but I still remember it very well. From that time on, I realized how foolish it was to seek satisfaction in material things.
In the heart of each of us there are desires which have no limit. Only an Infinite Being is able to satisfy these desires of our hearts. That Infinite Being is God.
