Twelve year-old
Luke had a great
desire to paint.
He loved dawn or
dusk flowering
landscapes,
flowers, houses,
animals, birds,
and everything
else that could
be placed on a
screen.
However, he had
never had the
opportunity to
learn how to
paint. Then one
day, full of
hope, he asked
his father for
some money,
bought a few
sheets of paper
suitable for
painting,
paints, brushes
and began to
draw. Before
starting, he
said a prayer:
- Dear Jesus, I
want to paint
but I need a lot
of help because
I have never
worked with
paints and I do
not know how to
do this. Help me
and I will be
forever
grateful. Thank
you, Lord!
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After that
prayer, Luke
made a sketch of
what he had in
mind and began
to paint. At
first he felt
some difficulty
but as the image
took shape, he
was delighted
and did not stop
until it was
finished. It was
a beautiful
painting! It was
a road lined
with flowering
trees.
Satisfied, Luke
showed his
mother what he
had done and she
was amazed at
the picture.
- Mom, do you
think it is
good?
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- It is great,
Luke!
Congratulations,
honey! You have
a knack for
painting.
Luke showed the
picture to some
people, they
loved it and one
of them asked
him to paint
something for
her too. When he
was done, Luke
received some
money for the
job.
Embarrassed, he
told the lady
that she did not
need to pay him
anything to
which she
replied:
- Why not, Luke?
You are a true
artist! If you
do not want to
keep the money,
used it as you
want! But you
worked and did
earn it.
Luke left her
house thinking:
"Well, if people
want to give me
money for
painting, I can
pass it on to
those who are
really in
need."
And so, Luke
went on to make
money from his
paintings.
However, he
began to observe
people. If he
saw someone sad
sitting on a
park bench, he
would stop and
talk to the
person.
One day, he met
a ragged man who
looked hungry
and sad, and
asked him why he
was so. The
beggar replied:
- It is just
that I lost my
job and now I do
not know what to
do! My children
ask for food and
I have nothing
to give them!...
Thus I'm very
sad.
Luke asked him
for his address
and told him not
to worry because
Jesus would help
him.
Luke went home,
took some of the
money that had
saved and put in
an envelope,
then he went to
the
neighbourhood of
the man’s house
and put the
envelope under
the door without
anyone seeing.
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On another day,
he saw a boy his
age sitting on
the curb crying.
He approached
him and they
started talking.
He learned that
the boy, Julio,
had a sick
mother and she
needed medicine
and food. He
also had little
brothers and
needed to take
care of them. So
Luke asked him
where he lived
and then left a
sum under his
door.
Thus our Luke
went on painting
even more. When
someone wondered
how much the
picture was, he
would say:
“There is no
need to give me
anything but if
you insist, give
me whatever you
would like!"
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Now he did not
think it was
strange for
people to want
to pay him for
the paintings
because it was
blessed money he
received and
gave to whoever
was in need. It
could be an old
man who needed
medicine, a sick
woman who needed
to go to the
doctor, an
unemployed
father and more.
Anyway, he
helped everyone
without letting
them know who
had helped
them. |
His mother,
seeing him so
involved with
paintings and
coming home with
money in his
hand, said to
him:
-
Congratulations,
dear! You are
proving to be a
great painter!
You must have
saved a good
sum, right? Now
you can buy
clothes, shoes
or whatever you
want!
Luke looked at
his mother and
smiled, saying:
- You're wrong,
Mom. I have
nothing saved!
- What do you
mean? You have
been paid well
for your
paintings,
Luke!
- Yes, Mom, but
I give away all
I get. I do not
keep anything.
- Why?! - asked
his mother,
surprised.
The boy thought
for a moment and
replied:
- Mom, I did not
want to receive
anything for my
paintings, but a
lady convinced
me when she said
that if I did
not want to keep
the money I
could use it any
way I wanted.
And that's what
I have done with
great
satisfaction.
His mother
noticed that the
boy did not want
to talk about
what he was
doing with his
money, so she
kept quiet
accepting his
will.
One day she had
gone out to do
some shopping
and saw Luke
talking to
someone; then
they said
goodbye and she
curiously
followed the
child who had
taken another
path.
Without Luke
seeing her, the
mother watched
as he stopped by
a very poor
house and taking
an envelope from
his pocket,
opened the gate,
put it under the
door, and then
walked away
happily.
The mother hid
so he would not
see her and
returned home
quickly. When he
arrived, Luke
found his mother
in the kitchen
starting to fix
lunch. He hugged
her happily and
said:
- I started my
day well, Mom.
Thanks to
Jesus!
The mother
hugged her son
with tears in
her eyes,
saying:
- Luke, you're
the best son
anyone could
have! Who has
guided you?
Upon hearing
that, Luke
smiled and
replied:
- Jesus has
helped me
whenever I need
it, Mom.
MEIMEI
(Psychographed
by Celia X. de
Camargo on
13/06/2016.)
