ONCE upon a time God called the Archangel Gabriel and said to him：“Descend to earth and go to the house of the widow and bring Me her soul。”The Archangel， as soon as he heard the command， descended from on high and went to the house of the widow。He found her lying on her bed in great poverty， with practically nothing in the house and with two babies。When he saw the sad plight in which the woman and her two babies were， he took pity on them and said to himself：“If I take that woman’s life， those two babies are sure to die of hunger。There is no one here to look after them。”Thus， disobeying God’s orders， he left the woman alive and returned empty-handed。
When he came up to heaven， the Lord asked him：“Have you brought the soul of that widow， for which I sent you？”
“Oh， Lord，”he replied，“I found her in such a frightful state， and I thought that if I took her soul the children would be sure to die of hunger， so I took pity on them and left her alive。”
And God said：“Plunge down to the bottom of the sea， and bring Me up the stone that is lying there。”The Archangel did as he was commanded。Quick as lightning he went down to the bottom of the sea and picked up the stone that had been pointed out to him by the Lord。But as quickly as he had descended he came up with it， bearing the stone in his hand。“Now split the stone，”commanded God。And the Archangel split the hard stone， and lo！ there were inside that stone two little worms。
“Who feeds these little worms inside the hard stone at the bottom of the sea？”asked the Lord of the astounded Archangel。
“Thine all abundant love and mercy，”replied the Archangel meekly。
“If Mine abundant love and mercy feeds these worms in the stone， is it then likely that I would forsake the two little orphans？ It is not for you to question My orders。And now as a punishment go down to earth and serve an Abbot as his serving brother for thirty years in a cloister， and at the end of the thirty years come back and bring with you the soul of the Abbot。”
In that cloister the Archangel served assiduously and quietly。He carried out all the orders carefully and meekly， but no one ever saw him laugh or smile。The thirty years appointed by the Lord were drawing to an end， when one day the Abbot called the Archangel and sent him in company with another brother to buy some food in the neighbouring town。Whilst they were walking along， the Archangel saw a man stealing an earthenware pot from a hedge。When he saw it he smiled。
The brother who accompanied him looked at him in wonderment。It was the first time that the man had ever smiled。Then， continuing his journey， he saw a man sitting by the road telling people’s fortunes。Again the Archangel smiled， and the other looked at him in surprise and astonishment。And going further， they heard a man ordering a pair of boots which were to last seven years。Here the Archangel laughed， and the other watched him with growing surprise。For thirty years he had neither smiled nor laughed， and now in one day he had both smiled and laughed； in fact， he had smiled twice。
Finally they met a wedding procession， and the Archangel wept。On entering the town they were stopped at the gate by a carriage which was being driven out of it， in it sat the Governor of the town and the Bishop。At the sight of them the Archangel was startled。
All these unwonted doings of the serving brother puzzled his companion greatly。When they returned he went to the Abbot and told him what had happened， how he had seen the serving brother smile and laugh and weep whilst they were travelling together。The Abbot， whose curiosity was aroused， called the Archangel and said to him：“My son， you have served us faithfully and truly for thirty years。You have been obedient and meek all these years， but you have always had a sad countenance。No one has ever seen you smile or laugh or weep。What has come over you this day？”
“My revered Father，”replied the Archangel，“I will explain to you the reason。When I saw a man stealing a pot I smiled， for there was clay stealing clay； when I saw the man telling fortunes to other people I could not help smiling， for under the place where that man was sitting there lay buried a huge treasure， and that man told fortunes to others and did not know his own fortune； and when I heard a man ordering a pair of boots which were to last seven years I had to laugh， for I knew that man would not live more than seven days。When I saw the wedding procession， knowing as I did that the bridegroom would die shortly and that their merriment would be cut short， I could not restrain my tears； and I was startled on entering the town when I saw those two men in the carriage， who were none other than the twin babies of the poor widow for whose sake I am now here。”
“But， my son， how did you know all that？”
Then the Archangel told him the whole story， adding：“My revered Father， let me tell you one more secret。I am not a mortal as you and all the brethren believe。I am the Archangel Gabriel， and I have been sent down by the Lord to serve you for thirty years as an atonement for want of faith in God’s love and mercy， and for disobedience to His commands， and I have been charged to bring thy soul to heaven at the end of the thirty years。Only three days are still wanting for the end of the time。Get thee ready！”
When the Abbot heard these words he at once made all the preparations for his departure from this earth， and at the end of the three days the Archangel Gabriel rose with his soul to heaven， where he was met by the angels， praising God and His everlasting love and mercy。
center加百利天使和修道院士
有一天，上帝召唤加百利天使到面前，对他说：“回到凡间到那寡妇的屋子里去，把她的灵魂带到天堂里来。”
加百利听从上帝的命令，从天上来到人间。当他走进寡妇的屋里后，发现寡妇贫病交加，她躺在床上，屋子里除了两个孩子外，别无他物。加百利看到这样的情景，深为同情，他对自己说：“如果我把这个寡妇带走，就没有人照看这两个孩子了，他们肯定会饿死的。”加百利违背了上帝的旨意，空着手回到了天上。
他来到上帝面前，上帝问他：“我让你带来的那个妇人呢？”
“哦，我的主啊，”加百利说，“我到她家时，发现她的处境悲惨，她有两个年幼的孩子，如果我把她带到天堂来，那两个孩子就会没有人照料，他们会饿死的啊！所以，我让那个寡妇活着。”
上帝对他说：“你到海底去，把那块躺在海底的褐色石头拿给我。”
加百利如闪电一般来到海底，把上帝指定的那块石头拿到了手，回到上帝的面前。
上帝说：“把这块石头劈开。”
石头裂开了，在石头里面有两条虫子在蠕动。
“你瞧，这两条虫子住在海底的坚石里，谁又来喂它们呢？”上帝对着一旁发呆的加百利天使说。
“是您，我的主啊，是您无尽的爱和仁慈所起的作用啊。”加百利天使谦恭地说。
上帝用平稳的口气说：“如果我能用无尽的慈爱使这两条虫子生存，我又怎会忘记在寡妇屋里的两个小生命呢？你根本就不用怀疑我对你的任何命令。现在我要惩罚你，你到尘世的一个修道院里去，听从修道院院长的吩咐做事。三十年后，你带着修道院院长的灵魂到我这里来。”
加百利到了修道院。他在修道院里，勤勉沉静地工作着，他细致而周到地办好交给他的每一件事。可是，从来没有人看到他笑过。
三十年的期限快要到了。一天，院长叫加百利和其他几个修道士一起去邻近的镇里买一些用品。在他们去小镇的路上，加百利看到有一个人从篱笆墙里偷了人家的一个陶罐，他微微笑了一下。
走在他旁边的修道士很奇怪，这可是他们第一次看到加百利笑啊！他们又往前走，没走多远，看到路边有个人正坐在石阶上给人算命，加百利又笑了一下。修道士们又很吃惊，不知加百利为何而笑，但大家都不敢说什么。
他们再往前走，经过一家鞋店，听见一个中年人在问店老板：“你这靴子牢不牢？我希望它能够使用七年。”加百利听后哈哈大笑，修道士们更为吃惊，加百利今天是不是有病啊？他在修道院近三十年都没笑过一次，而今天这一段路上就接连笑了三回。
最后，他们又遇到了迎亲的队伍，加百利看到后失声痛哭，这让修道士们真摸不着头脑了，加百利今天太奇怪了。
走到城门口，只见有一辆马车驶过，马车里坐着城镇的长官和主教。他们闪在一旁避让，加百利看到马车里的长官和主教，震惊得张大嘴，半天没有合拢。加百利不寻常的举动让众修道士迷惑不解，回到修道院后，他们就把这一切告诉了院长。院长听了也觉奇怪，便把加百利叫来，他说：“我的孩子啊，你在这里一直忠心不二，你做事也很认真勤恳，可是我看你好像有伤心事似的，在这里从没有人看到你笑过哭过，可你今天的举动是怎么回事呢？”
加百利天使说：“尊敬的神父啊，让我向您解释一下吧，我看到那个人在偷陶罐时，我笑了一下，因为人本来就是泥土做成的。在路边，我看到那个人在给别人算命，我笑，是因为在他的背后就隐藏着一批财富，这个给别人算命的人竟然不晓得自己的命运。经过鞋店时，看到那个希望自己的靴子能穿七年的人，我笑，因为我晓得他只剩下七天的寿命，能穿七年的靴子对他又有何用呢？”
院长用心地听着加百利的解释，并点着头。
加百利继续说：“我遇到迎亲队伍时，已知道新娘活不了多久，他们的幸福不长了，所以我为他们伤心哭泣。”
“那你看到马车的时候呢？”院长问。
“从我身边驶过的马车里坐着两个人，他们是寡妇的两个孩子，现在成了长官和主教，让我吃惊不小。正是因为当年我没有带走他们的母亲，我才会在这里呆了三十年之久。”
院长听后，也有所震惊，他说：“我的孩子啊，你怎么会知道这些的呢？”
加百利就将自己的情况讲给院长听，最后，他对院长说：“我尊敬的院长啊，我还要告诉你一个秘密，我并不是普通人，我是加百利天使。我是上帝派到你这里来的，这都是为了赎我的罪，是我胆敢怀疑上帝慈爱的惩罚。遵从上帝的命令，我在三十年期限到达时要带你到天上去，现在只剩下三天期限了，你准备一下吧。”
修道院长在三天里安排好一切事情。到时候，加百利带着修道院长的灵魂一起升入了天堂。在天堂里他遇到了其他的天使，赞美上帝无尽的慈爱。