Happy Home

Archbishop Fulton. J. Sheen (1895-1979), in his renowned book, "Way to Happiness" narrates an incident in the life of a pious nun residing in a cloistered Carmelite convent (chapter 31). The nuns were leading a simple, silent and austere life and were practising penance, prayer and meditation without access to the outside world. Once, during the feast of St. Therese, the cloister of the convent was opened to visitors who wanted to witness their lifestyle. Among the visitors was an industrialist who could not appreciate the silent lifestyle of the sisters. He met a young, beautiful and highly educated nun and showed her a large, palatial house on the opposite hill. It was large and luxurious with all modern amenities, a gorgeous garden, beautiful buildings, expensive cars and fine furniture. He asked her, "If you had the fortune to be born in and own such a house with all facilities for a luxurious modern life, would you have left it and joined this convent with only poverty, penance and prayer?" The nun gave a short but firm reply, "Sir, that was my home!"

Her words displayed the spirit of true dedication to her vocation. She could find real happiness in a simple life of poverty, silence and sacrifice with prayer, penance and meditation. So she could easily abandon her rich home and all its luxuries following the footsteps of Jesus. She could appreciate the beauty of austerity, simplicity and poverty.

Jesus concludes the parable of the rich fool who planned to build bigger barns to store his corn, with the words: "But God said to him, “You fool! This very night you will have to give up your life; then who will get all these things you have kept for yourself?”{Luke 12:16-21}.

Once a  rich, young man approached Jesus to learn the way to receive eternal life. Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me" {Matthew 19: 21}. Jesus advised, "“Provide for yourselves purses that don’t wear out, and save your riches in heaven, where they will never decrease, because no thief can get to them and no moth can destroy them {Luke 12:33}.

Money may fetch us amusement, but not happiness; a bed, but not sleep; books, but not brains; a car, but not safety; companions, but not friends; education, but not wisdom; flattery, but not respect; food, but not appetite; a house but not a home; luxuries, but not culture; medicines, but not health; ornaments, but not beauty; a violin, but not music.

Let us save our riches in heaven.

© By: 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 my web-site: http://www.moralstorieschristian.blogspot.com   

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Mounting an Elephant

Elephants are essential elements in traditional festivals of India. They are decorated with gold-plated caparisons and displayed with dignity in colourful processions. During such a festival, one of the organizers of the festival wanted to climb upon an elegant elephant as it was his long-cherished dream. The man was old and stout and was afraid of the exercise. With the expert advice and assistance of the mahout, and a lot of personal effort, he managed to climb to the top of the elephant. But unfortunately, as he reached the top with much fear and difficulty, he got seated with his face facing the tail-end of the elephant. Noting his awkward position, his aides shouted from the ground, "Sir, please turn yourself to face the front side of the elephant!" But the scared dignitary could not move a bit. He sat still, holding the animal with all his might. He told his well-wishers, "I will sit as I please. If you want a change, you may turn the elephant to face my front."

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), one of the greatest composers and musicians in human history, was born in Bonn in Germany. He was proficient in playing a variety of musical instruments. He could mesmerize millions by his melodious music, crowning compositions and outstanding performance. Once, while playing his musical instruments he noticed that they did not produce any sound. He thought that the instruments had developed some trouble and decided to repair them. Later he could realize that the problem was not with his instruments but with his own ears, which became deaf suddenly. He continued to create excellent compositions ignoring his deafness.

When God confronted them for sinning, Adam blamed his wife and Eve blamed the snake {Genesis 3: 11-13}. But God did not accept their excuses {Genesis 3: 16-19}.

It is human nature to assume that disorders are caused by the faults of  the society and the people around us. But often it is the discord within a person that causes disorder in his social life. The first step in correcting the society is correcting ourselves {Matthew 7:1-5}. We can initiate social change only by changing ourselves.

© By: 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 my web-site: http://www.moralstorieschristian.blogspot.com   

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A Manager's Malpractice

The proprietor of a large construction company had a dishonest manager who used fraudulent means to cheat the customers and make money for himself. He used to manipulate the accounts, use raw materials of poor quality and neglect the design, technical specifications and workmanship to make unauthorized personal profit. The proprietor had full confidence in the manager and gave him complete control in the concern.

One day, the proprietor told the manager that he was proceeding on a tour of many foreign countries and would return only after several months. He asked the manager to undertake the construction of a new house for the proprietor using the best materials  and workmanship available.

The wicked manager decided to betray the proprietor and make a fortune. He used the cheapest construction materials of the lowest quality and completed the construction at a fast pace. He ignored the technical specifications and quality in every aspect of the construction - design, foundation, materials, masonry, plumbing, wiring, carpentry, plastering and painting but gave an attractive and appealing appearance to the final structure. He withdrew a very large sum of money from the proprietor's account giving false and exaggerated statements about the expenditure.

When the proprietor returned from abroad, the manager was ready to receive him at the airport. He escorted the proprietor to the new house and ceremoniously handed over the keys to the proprietor. The proprietor thanked the manager for completing the construction in a short period and embraced him. The proprietor told him, "You may keep the keys with you. I am giving this house and the surrounding land to you as my special gift to you in recognition of your splendid services to me and our establishment."

The manager could not believe these words. He never expected to receive such a gift. He was afraid to occupy the new house as he was fully aware of the poor quality of its construction. He was in a real dilemma. He felt sorry for his fraudulent practices.

Honesty is the best policy. It is a good rule that we should be faithful and truthful in every action - both big and small.

Jesus taught the golden rule of Christianity, "Do for others just  what you want them to do for you"{ Luke 6: 31, Matthew  7:12}

© By: 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 my web-site: http://www.moralstorieschristian.blogspot.com   

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The Greatest Gift

Arrangements for a wedding ceremony were in progress in a house. A lamb and a puppy belonging to the house were talking about their life in the house. They agreed that their master and other members of the family were providing them good food and care. “But what do we give them in return for their services?” asked the pup. The lamb replied, “I don’t know. But we must express our gratitude. I will ask my mommy and tell you later.”

A large number of guests arrived to participate in the wedding and the party. Everyone was happy.The master and his son, the bridegroom were busy greeting and welcoming the guests. But the lamb was weeping. Seeing this, the puppy asked the lamb, “Why do you cry, when every one here is happy?”

The lamb replied, “Yesterday you asked me how we can express our thanks to our master. I went to ask my mom. But I saw her being slaughtered for our master. They removed her skin, cut her into pieces and cooked her body in a large vessel. They will enjoy her meat in today’s party. She showed me how to express our gratitude.” The lamb continued to cry. The puppy could not pacify the lamb.

Jesus is the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” {John 1: 29}. He was killed for us on the Cross at Calvary. His sacred sacrifice delivered us from sin {Hebrews 9: 28}.

Jesus continues to offer His body and blood in the Holy Eucharist  to purify us, strengthen us and lead us to heaven. Jesus promised, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him to life on the last day {John 6: 54}.

© By: 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 my web-site: http://www.moralstorieschristian.blogspot.com  

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Fight At First Sight

A mother was very fond of her only son. When he married, she felt that he was more attached to his wife than to her. Soon she developed an enormous enmity to her daughter-in-law. She used to shout foul words at the young lady frequently and furiously fight with all might at the first sight of her daughter-in-law, every day.

             One day, filled with rage, the old lady started to shower abusive words at the young lady at the top of her voice. She started with the words, “You bastard…” But as she uttered forcefully, the syllable “Ba” of ‘Bastard’, she opened her mouth so widely that her jaws got locked, leaving a fully opened mouth which could not be shut. She struggled hard and panicked in pain but could not close her open mouth.
              She was rushed to a hospital by her son and his wife. The old lady was immensely irritated but cried helplessly in agony. The doctors diagnosed her complaint as an acute anterior dislocation of the lower jaw bone (mandible) from the temperomandibular joint. The ball (condyle) of the joint had come out of its socket, moved forward and got stuck in front of a section of bone and could not go back into its proper place. The doctors carefully manipulated her lower jaw and released the lock. Suddenly, in a fit of rage, she burst out, “Bastard!” and showered on her daughter-in-law a torrential stream of vulgar words, trembling with a terrible temper.
             The doctor was struck with wonder. After a few minutes, she recovered from the tantrums. Then the doctor advised her to give her jaws sufficient rest and limit their range of movement to avert another accident.
              Let us remember that ‘ANGER’ is only one letter short of ‘DANGER’. Robert Green Ingersoll said, “Anger blows out the lamp of the mind.” Benjamin Franklin said, “Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame.”
              Lord Buddha taught, “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burnt.”
              The Bible advises, “There is no excuse for unjustified anger; it can bring about your downfall. Wait and be patient, and later you will be glad you did” {Sirach 1: 22, 23}. “If you cannot control your anger, you are as helpless as a city without walls, open to attack” {Proverbs 25: 28}.
               St. Paul teaches, “Get rid of all bitterness, passion and anger. No more shouting or insults, no more hateful feelings of any sort. Instead be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ” {Ephesians 4: 31, 32}.

© By: 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 my web-site: http://www.moralstorieschristian.blogspot.com 

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A Handsome Horse

A wild horse became envious of the zebras which are naturally blessed with beautiful black stripes all over their body. The horse spent sleepless nights meditating about a method to get decorated with beautiful stripes like a zebra. He sought the advice of a monkey who was the best scholar, artist and beautician of the forest. The monkey led the horse to a place where a wildfire had just burnt down several trees. Using the pieces of charcoal from the burnt wood, the monkey painted fine stripes on the body of the horse.

The happy horse thanked the monkey and joined a group of zebras who accepted him without a doubt. As they were grazing together, a heavy rainfall occurred. The 'painted zebra' was in great trouble. The stripes of charcoal dissolved in the rain and created a dirty mess. The stripes lost their outline. The zebras rejected him. The horse ran away with a disfigured body. He came to his own relatives who were reluctant to accept him seeing his weird appearance. Dejected and depressed, he approached the monkey who created the stripes and requested him to end his misery. The monkey led him to a stream and washed his body, rubbing hard with the husk of a coconut. Having restored his natural appearance, the horse watched his appearance in the still water. He said to himself, "I am really beautiful!"


Every creature is blessed with a unique form and appearance. We must be ready to accept the gifts of God instead of worrying about our appearance. Comparing our features with those of others and trying to imitate others creates unnecessary worry. Let us look at the less privileged brothers and thank God for His generous gifts. That is the path to peace and progress.


"Charm is deceptive and beauty disappears..."{Proverbs 31: 30}.


St. Peter advises, "You should not use outward aids to make yourself beautiful, such as the way you do your hair, or the jewellery you put on, or the dresses you wear. Instead your beauty should consist of your true inner self, the ageless beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of the greatest value in God's sight" {1 Peter 3: 3, 4}.

© By: 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 my web-site: http://www.moralstorieschristian.blogspot.com 

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A Proud Peacock

A proud peacock boasted that he was the most beautiful bird and the best dancer in the whole world. He looked down on the other birds which lacked beauty or skill in dancing. Once a crow tried to make friends with him. He scornfully told the crow, "You are very ugly and small in appearance and offensive in sound and behaviour. You are a scavenger feeding on garbage and decaying flesh. How dare you come near me? Look at my elegant, elaborate, enormous, exquisite and exotic plumage. I am admired for my beauty and grace and excellent skills in dancing. Go away from me."

The peacock displayed his long and colourful tail and fanned out his brilliant feathers. He quivered gracefully, boastfully displaying his superb dancing skills. Suddenly a leopard made a surprise attack from its hiding place and caught the peacock before he could make any defensive movement. His fanned out feathers made it impossible to escape from the predator. But the simple crow could make a swift flight and easily escape from the ambush. Seated on a tall tree the crow watched the tragic fate of the proud peacock. He sobbed in sorrow.

"The Lord hates everyone who is arrogant; He will never let them escape punishment" {Proverbs 16: 5}. "Pride leads to destruction, and arrogance to downfall" {Proverbs 16: 18}. "No one is respected  unless he is humble; arrogant people are on the way to ruin" {Proverbs 18: 12}.

"Happy are those who are humble; they will receive what God has promised" {Matthew 5: 5}. "For everyone who makes himself great will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will be made great" {Luke 14: 11}.

© By: 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 my web-site: http://www.moralstorieschristian.blogspot.com 

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Cinderella Of India

Sindhu was the only daughter of a learned cobbler of South India. Her mother died while she was very young. Under her father's instruction, Sindhu earned proficiency in the principles of morality, stories of virtuous characters and the divine messages depicted in the great epics of India. She was very beautiful and good-natured. She loved nature and had several pet animals. She used to teach the girls of her village the stories she learned from her father.

They were staying in a house owned by a landlord. The cobbler made a pair of extremely beautiful sandals for Sindhu using all his skills and the finest materials available. She preserved the sandals as a treasure. Once there was a large flood and their landlord's daughter fell into the flooding river by accident. Her father died while trying to save the girl. Poor Sindhu was orphaned.

The kind landlord let her stay in his house where there were a large number of servants. But the landlady was cruel and made Sindhu work hard. She cut off Sindhu's beautiful black hair and gave her only the old clothes worn by her own daughter as the landlady and her haughty daughter were envious of Sindhu's natural beauty and unusual knowledge. The other servants made her do most of the hard works and ill-treated her in all possible ways. She had to draw and bring water from a distant well, clean, feed and milk the cows, clean the house, premises and the animal house, look after the vegetable garden and work in the kitchen to prepare the meals for all. She suffered in silence and did her duties with dedication and perfection.

Every evening, she used to go to the small temporary tomb where the remains of her father's dead body were preserved for an year before the ceremonious mixing with the water of a holy river. During this visit she used to put on the pair of sandals her father had gifted to her, in remembrance of her loving father. Reaching the tomb, she would remove her sandals and light an oil lamp in memory of the departed soul as per the customs of her community.

One evening, as she was lighting the lamp at the tomb after removing her sandals, a bird snatched one of the sandals and flew away. The bird dropped the sandal before the king while he was engaged in an evening walk near his palace. He showed it to his son, the prince. They were fascinated by the beauty of the sandal. The court astrologer advised that it was a signal from heaven and the owner of the sandal should be identified. She would be the ideal bride for the prince.

The king decreed that the prince would marry the girl whose foot correctly fits the sandal. He sent his soldiers all around the country with the sandal. A large number of  ladies of the country rushed to test their feet, but none of them suited the sandal. Finally the soldiers found out that Sindhu was the real owner of the sandal. The king and prince arrived to meet and greet her. She reluctantly produced the other pair of the sandal from her bundle of old clothes. The king and the prince were impressed by her unusual wisdom, winsome manners and natural beauty. The royal wedding was celebrated ceremoniously. Sindhu reigned successfully as the princess and later as the queen for several years. She introduced reforms to help the poor and downtrodden people. Her days are remembered in the country as the golden age in its history.

God speaks through Jeremiah, "I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for {Jeremiah 29: 11}.

"Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land" {Matthew 5: 4,5}.

© By: 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 my web-site: http://www.moralstorieschristian.blogspot.com 

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Unity In Diversity

Three cats lived in neighbouring houses. They were close friends and used to meet to discuss  matters of common interest. One of them was white in colour. Another one was black. The third was brown. One day the black cat argued that his colour was the best as he could hide in dim light and pounce on the prey without getting noticed. He added that the white colour of his friend was a terrible disadvantage in catching a prey in dim light.

The white cat retorted  that white was a superior colour as it was a combination of all colours and a symbol of purity. He added that black was the absence of any colour and a symbol of hell. When the argument became uncontrollable, the brown cat intervened. He said, "I will tell a story. Listen carefully and then decide which is the better colour." He narrated a novel story:

"Before the creation of cats, God made models of cats using clay. Then he put them one by one in the fire to strengthen and harden them before instilling life into them. When he introduced the first model in the furnace, he had no idea about the optimum time for hardening. He kept it for a long time and it got charred and over burnt. That was how the first 'black' cat was created. He learned a lesson but brought the black model to life. All black cats are his descendants. The next time, God was very cautious to avoid overheating. So he removed the model from the furnace a bit early to avoid overheating. The model was under burnt and white in colour. The white cats descended from him. Now God became proficient in the art and science of hardening the models. So the third experiment was successful and the model was removed after correct heating. It was perfect and had a beautiful brown colour. All brown cats, including me, are his descendants. We were heated and hardened correctly for the optimum time and temperature.  Now you know who is the result of a perfect creation."

The story amused the black and white cats though they knew that it was fictitious. They stopped their fight and became friends again, realizing that external appearance is insignificant and that nobody wins by an argument.

Man  has fought thoughtlessly, throughout human history, arguing about the superiority of one race over others. Men may differ in characteristics and qualities such as calibre, caste, character, charm, cognition, colour, community, complexion, costume, courage, creed, culture and customs. But he is the  roof and crown of creations and a noble work of God. We must appreciate unity in diversity and harmony in variety.

"God created man in His image; in the divine image He created him; male and female He created them" {Genesis 1: 27}.

© By: 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 my web-site: http://www.moralstorieschristian.blogspot.com 

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A Foolish Fox

A cunning fox was moving around a village in search of food. It was dark but he easily located the chicken-shed and examined the place in detail. He found a stray hen sleeping outside the shed. She could not enter the shed as the careless servant had closed it before the hen could reach it. The fox got ready to pounce upon the hen. Awakened by the movement of the fox, the hen opened her eyes. She felt that her end was sure and so made a last attempt to save her life. She begged to the fox, "Sir, I am ready to die and be your food, but kindly grant my last wish before killing me."

                        The fox asked her angrily, "Be quick. What do you want?" The hen pleaded, "I know that you are the best singer in the forest. I wish to hear your melodious music before I breathe my last." The fox was flattered. He sat on his legs, opened his mouth gracefully and started to howl happily, enjoying the melody of his music  by moving his hands rhythmically in the air. A few moments passed and hearing the howl, all the dogs in the area rushed to the scene and sprang upon the fox. He fled for his life at top speed. The chickens in the shed praised the presence of mind, ingenuity and courage of the hen. Intelligence combined with innocence leads to success in life.

© By: 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 my web-site: http://www.moralstorieschristian.blogspot.com

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The Beautiful Birds

 Two young and pretty parrots were seated on the topmost branch of a tree. They started a quarrel. Each one claimed that he was more beautiful than the other. They argued angrily and were about to attack each other physically. Then they heard an affectionate call from a lower branch of the same tree.

                 A cunning cat was seated there, watching the conflict carefully with intense interest. He tried to console the birds with his apparently pleasing words. "Do not fight, my dear birds", he told them. "I will tell you who is more beautiful. We will have a beauty contest. I will be your judge. Please come close to me so that I can examine you clearly and pronounce my just judgment."

                 Excited on hearing this offer, the foolish birds moved towards the cat. They were blind with envy and enmity and could not realize the real aim of the cunning cat. Suddenly the mother parrot reached the scene. She sensed the imminent danger and immediately pushed the young parrots away. She gave a stern warning to them to fly away. Seated safely on the highest branch, she convinced the parrots that the cat was actually planning to pounce on them and eat them as soon as they came near him. They realized their mistake and breathed a sigh of relief. They thanked their mother for arriving in time to save them. They were really sorry for losing their senses by their ignorance and arrogance. The mother drew them close to her body and told them affectionately, "Listen, children, both of you are equally beautiful. Try to love and appreciate each other. No one wins by an argument."

                Jesus taught that real beauty is a gift of God: "Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. It is God who clothes the wild grass.."{Matthew 6: 28-30}.

                St. Peter teaches us, "You should not use outward aids to make yourselves beautiful, such as the way you do your hair, or the jewellery you put on, or the dresses you wear. Instead, your beauty should consist of  your true inner self, the ageless beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of the greatest value in God's sight" {1 Peter 3: 3, 4}.

© By: 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 my web-site: http://www.moralstorieschristian.blogspot.com

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The Crab Carrying A Cross

  A rare species of marine crabs with a clear cross-shaped mark on their shells is found in Malaysian and Indonesian waters. Its scientific name is 'Crucifix crab' or Charybdis feriatus. Rare specimens of the species have been collected from other places like Goa in India. There is a popular belief about the origin of the cross mark on the shells of these crabs.

                                 In  1546, St. Francis Xavier, after strenuous and successful missionary activities in India, set out to the lands and islands to the east of India such as Singapore, Philippines, Malacca  and Indonesia. In  February 1546, the boat in which the saint sailed was caught in a storm in Eastern Indonesia. In an attempt to calm the tempest, he leaned out of the boat and dipped his crucifix in the raging waves prayerfully and the sea became calm miraculously. But the cross slipped from his grip and fell down into the deep sea. He reached the shores of Seram island the next morning. On the shore, he saw a crab crawling towards him from the sea, carrying, clutched between its claws, the crucifix he lost in the sea. The saint knelt down, praised the Lord and recovered the cross from the crab. He thanked the Lord, kissed the cross and blessed the crab. Popular belief is that the crab developed the mark of the cross on its shell miraculously as the saint blessed it with the sign of the cross. Crabs bearing the cross mark which are found even today in the sea, are believed to be the descendants of the crab that was blessed by the saint for retrieving his cross from the sea. This incident was depicted on the altar at the ceremony for canonization of the saint in 1622.

                                 These special species of crabs bearing the sign of the cross are described as living miracles of the saint and have been powerful instruments to strengthen the faith of many. St. Francis Xavier was one of the founding fathers of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). He was transformed by the words of Jesus, repeated by St. Ignatius Loyola, "Will a person gain anything if he wins the whole world but loses his life?" {Matthew 16: 26, Mark 8: 36}. St. Francis Xavier is the patron saint of missions, missionaries and sailors. He was called to eternal rest on 2nd December, 1552. The blessed body of this great saint still  remains miraculously without decomposition in the Basilica of Bom Jesus at Goa, India. His liturgical feast day is celebrated on the 3rd of December every year.

© By: 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 my web-site: http://www.moralstorieschristian.blogspot.com

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An Emperor's Embrace

An emperor won several wars and conquered the neighbouring nations one by one, expanding his empire after every war. He had a baby boy, who was the heir to his throne. The emperor wanted his son to grow up as a fearless fighter and win wars to extend the borders of his empire further. He tried to instil into the infant the spirit of a valiant warrior.

Immediately after a successful war, he carried his only son along with him on his horse to the battlefield. He hoped to familiarize and intoxicate the child with the smell of fresh blood that filled the field. They could see the bodies of hundreds of soldiers lying dead or dying from serious wounds all around the battlefield. As he sped his horse victoriously, a dying soldier of the defeated country used all his remaining strength to shoot an arrow at the emperor. The unexpected arrow pierced the prince's heart and killed him on the spot. The emperor embraced his only son and cried aloud in agony.

Sir Winston Churchill once remarked, "In war, it does not matter who is right (ie. correct), but who is left (ie. not killed)!" In the war of 1861, a supporter told Abraham Lincoln that he hoped the Lord would be on their side. Lincoln replied, " I am not at all concerned about that; but it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this Nation should be on the Lord's side."

When the armed men approached Jesus to arrest Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, St. Peter, the Chief of His Disciples drew his sword and struck at one of them, cutting off his ear. Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back in its place. All who take the sword will die by the sword" {Matthew 26: 52}.

© By: 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 my web-site: http://www.moralstorieschristian.blogspot.com

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