Once there lived a man who, although poor and unlearned, was a very good man. However, people often found him weeping bitterly, although no one knew why. It was as if he had a secret grief which no one knew about.

One day a priest who knew him saw him in this sad condition. Wishing to cheer him up, the priest asked the man why he was sad. In tears, the man explained why he wept.

"My Father," he said, "I am filled with sorrow when I see so many poor sinners willfully throwing themselves into Hell when they could so easily obtain Heaven. Oh, I wish I had been a priest, so that I might go about and preach. Then I would be able, I am sure, to bring many souls to God."

The priest answered him kindly, "My friend, it is not necessary for you to be a priest that you may bring souls to God. You can preach to them, even more eloquently than any priest could, for you can always show them good example, and pray for them. Good example and prayer are infallible means of bringing sinners back to God."

The priest’s words consoled the good man greatly, and from then on he used his prayers and good example to show those around him the way to heaven.

Like this good man, we too can help lead souls to God. When we become discouraged at the state of the world around us, when we feel there is nothing we can do to fix the many problems today, let’s remember these words of this priest. We don’t need to be smart or powerful to make an impact, we just need to have a good will, like the man in this story. Then, by our prayers and example, we can help change the world and bring people to heaven, one good deed at a time.