Article September 17, 1949 Issue

OUR "TASK OF GLORY"

JEANNE STEELY LAITNER

"To the woman at the sepulchre, bowed in strong affection's anguish, one word, 'Mary,' broke the gloom with Christ's all-conquering love. Then came her resurrection and task of glory, to know and to do God's will,—in the words of St. Paul: 'Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God'" (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 258). In thus defining Mary's "task of glory," Mary Baker Eddy sets forth the great task facing all sincere seekers for Truth, namely, "to know and to do God's will." Obeying this behest means glorious resurrection from the evils attendant upon a supposititious mortal will and the attainment of the peace which inevitably follows obedience to God's will.

The importance which Jesus attached to knowing and doing God's will is evidenced in his prayer (Matt. 6:10), "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." He also indicated that obedience to God's will is the key to spiritually harmonious relationships (Matt. 12:50): "For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."

But how, the reader may ask, may I truly know and do God's will? How may I rid myself of the seemingly aggressive phases of human will, which range from obvious forms, such as selfishly insisting upon my own opinions and ways, to more subtle and often unconscious modes of mental aggression and possessiveness? Human will, upon close examination, is seen to constitute the very essence of mortal mind, namely, the belief in a power apart from God.

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