SILENT SUFFERING

>> 09 July 2008

A saintly monk was leading a life of meditation near a village. The villagers used to give him food and respect his words of wisdom. One day the villagers rushed into his hermitage in a rage. They pushed a girl to his front and accused him of raping the girl as she had confessed before them that the monk was responsible for her pregnancy. He was innocent, but did not try to defend himself. He calmly asked them, "Is it so?" He readily agreed to support the girl in his hermitage. The villagers stopped feeding the sage and they started to ridicule him. To support him and the girl, the monk went to the forest and cut firewood. By selling the firewood, he could earn food for them. The girl delivered a baby and he supported them whole-heartedly.

Twelve years passed. Then, one day, the villagers came tearfully to the monk and begged his pardon for suspecting his sanctity. They had identified the culprit who had made the girl pregnant. He was now ready to accept the girl and child. The girl who was afraid of the miscreant had then told the name of the monk instead. The monk, without any excitement, repeated his earlier question "Is it so?" Then he entrusted the girl and the child to the villagers and silently resumed his meditation.

Silence is more powerful than argument. Jesus did not defend himself before the Priests, Pilate and Herod when the Jews accused him falsely. He silently suffered the Passion to redeem us from the clutches of sin.

Isaiah foretold the Passion of Christ in the words: "He was treated harshly, but endured it humbly; he never said a word. Like a lamb about to be slaughtered, like a sheep about to be sheared, he never said a word" {Isaiah 53:7}.

"When He was insulted, he did not answer back with an insult; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but placed His hopes in God, the righteous Judge" {1 Peter 2:23}.

Jesus taught us, "Happy are you when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you because you are my followers. Be happy and glad, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven" {Matthew 4: 11, 12}.

Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India. For more moral stories, parables and anecdotes for students, catechists, teachers and preachers, kindly visit the web-site: http://www.moralstorieschristian.blogspot.com

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LINCOLN AND LIBERATION

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), the sixteenth President of U.S.A, was a great philanthropist and champion of human rights and dignity. His long struggle against slavery led to the amendment of the Constitution, abolishing slavery in the United States of America. He was assassinated in 1865.

There is a popular legend about his early days. Once, Abraham Lincoln happened to see a slave auction. He was disgusted by the sights and sounds of buying and selling of human beings in public. He saw a young woman displayed for sale as a slave. Her eyes were filled with contempt on everyone around her. She showed signs of the intense sufferings she encountered throughout her life. When the bidding began, Lincoln offered a bid for her. He countered others' bids with larger amounts until he won. He paid the auctioneer the money and took title to the young woman. She stared at her new master with hatred. She asked him what he was going to do with her. Lincoln told her, "I'm going to set you fully free. You can say and do whatever you want and go anywhere you wish to." She was hearing such kind words for the first time.
"Then I'm coming with you!" she said with a smile.

Man was under the slavery of sin. Jesus redeemed us and made us God's children {Galatians 4: 3-5}. Jesus provides true and complete liberation to man. St. Paul says, "Freedom is what we have - Christ has set us free! Stand, then, as free people, and do not allow yourselves to become slaves again" {Galatians 5:1}.

Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India. For more moral stories, parables and anecdotes for students, catechists, teachers and preachers, kindly visit the web-site: http://www.moralstorieschristian.blogspot.com

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