George Bernanos, in a book titled Diary of a Country Priest, describes the ministry of a humble and unsuccessful country pastor. Most of the time the pastor is inept. The bored villagers he serves ignore him, his church all but deserts him. There is one wealthy parishioner who is particularly harsh on the poor minister. In part this is because of her personal bitterness toward God. However, as this woman draws near death, the priest somehow manages to break through the barriers and helps this woman to surrender her life to God. With his help, she is able to believe in eternal life.

The pastor shares these words with the woman at the moment of death. "Be at peace," he tells her. And as the woman kneels to receive the peace of Christ, the pastor prays to God: "May she keep it forever; it will be I who gave it to her." He prayed, "Oh miracle thus to be able to give what we ourselves do not possess, sweet miracle of empty hands. Hope which was shriveling in my heart flowered again in hers; the spirit of prayer which I thought lost in me forever was given back to her by God and who can tell perhaps in my name!"