SAINT OR SINNER?

SAINT OR SINNER?

This story is told about Leonardo da Vinci, when he was painting “The Lord’s Supper,” He chose an attractive young man called Pietri Bandinelli to be his model for Jesus in the painting.

The complete work took several years to finish. The final character was Judas, and Leonardo went into the slums, and all of the “dives” in town looking for someone who would serve as a model for Judas. He was looking for someone who would clearly stand out as such in any gathering.

He found the perfect man, one who was depraved and vicious looking. Later as he was painting, Leonardo sensed there was something familiar about the man, and he asked him if they had ever met before. “Yes, w have,” replied the man, “but much has happened in my life since than.” He said his name was Bandinelli, that it was he who was the model for Jesus some time before.

Dear friends whom do you want to be? Life is full of surprises and it was so in the case of Leonardo. The man who was model for Jesus turned out to be a model for Judas too. Time and circumstances changes one’s life but ultimately it is the inner conscience and one’s decision that enables one to be either Jesus or Judas. So whom do you want to be?

v    It is important, more important. To remember that the reverse could equally be true – the Judas of yesterday could be the Jesus of today.

v    After all, a saint is a sinner whom Jesus saved and sanctified. 

SHARING OUR FOOD

SHARING OUR FOOD

There is a legend told about Abraham in the Mid-east. According to the legend he always held off, eating his breakfast each morning until a hungry person came along to share it with him.

One day an old man came along and of course Abraham invited to share his breakfast with him. However, when Abraham heard the old man say a pagan blessing over his food, he jumped up, and ordered the man to get out from the table, and form his house.

Almost immediately, God spoke to Abraham, “Abraham, Abraham! I have been supplying that unbeliever with food everyday for the past eighty years. Could you not have tolerated him for just one meal?”

There is a saying about sharing our food with strangers, and unknown to ourselves, actually entertaining angels.

Hey! We do behave at times like Abraham. When we think that we are better than others we do not take their feelings and their views into account. At times we behave that we are holy and perfect among our companions. And the little mistake they make becomes the joke of the day. We like Abraham do lot of good things and charity but can’t bear up the old pagan man or our companions who do not go according to our thought pattern. Are we ready to share our life, time, knowledge and material objects with the person we do not like much?

v    Even a cup of cold water shared with another will not go unrewarded (Mt 10:42)

v    Jesus has strong words to say about those who only love or share with those who are friend, or with those who can give in return (Mt 5:470