The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it.

The line shifts attention from outward achievement to inward disposition. “Miracle” is redefined: not the visible labor of serving the poor and sick—work that can be admired, imitated, or even sensationalized—but the interior grace of doing it with joy. The quote implies that sustained compassion is not merely a matter of duty or endurance; it depends on a transformed will, where love makes sacrifice livable. It also quietly critiques a culture that treats humanitarian work as heroic spectacle: the truer wonder is a heart kept free of resentment, fatigue, and self-importance. Happiness here is not comfort but a spiritual fruit of service.