Eleven year old
Elisa was a girl
who liked to
help everyone.
It didn't matter
if it was a
child, an adult,
the elderly; she
made no
distinction. If
she was able do
something for
the person, she
did not miss the
opportunity.
Besides that,
she also liked
animals and
plants. If she
saw an abandoned
dog in the
street, she
would bring it
home straight
away; if she saw
a dried plant,
she would water
it immediately.
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Her parents were
good people who
educated her,
from an early
age, to observe
the Gospel of
Jesus. Every
week, on a set
day, they
studied the
Gospel at home,
for the girl's
great
satisfaction and
joy.
One day,
however, her
mother went to
visit a friend
who lived in the
vicinity, and
took the girl.
On the way
there, they ran
into a very poor
boy who Elisa
greeted:
- How are you,
Joe? And your
family? Look,
Mom! See this
shirt? I was the
one who gave it
to Joe!
Head down in
shame, the boy
replied:
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- We're good,
Elisa, thank
God... - and he
walked away.
Later, Elisa saw
a lady who was
hanging some
clothes and drew
her mother's
attention to
her:
- Do you
recognize the
dress that lady
is wearing? It
was yours, mom!
The woman,
having heard it,
nodded with an
upset expression
and said:
- You are right,
Elisa. It was
you who gave me
this dress, and
I thank you.
Thank you! You
have a very nice
daughter, dona
(1)
Fatima - she
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completed
by
addressing
the
mother. |
- I am glad that
it is your size,
Ana. When I have
others, I can
bring them for
you - Elisa's
mother said with
a smile.
Around the
corner, Elisa
ran into another
girl who she had
helped, then a
man, and so on.
Here it was a
pair of shoes,
there clothes or
toys.
The mother, with
each new
mention, felt
more embarrassed
than the people
mentioned by her
daughter.
They arrived at
the address they
were going to.
Dona Fatima
spoke with a
seamstress and
friend who used
to take her
services and
they returned
home. The mother
wanted to say
something to her
daughter, but
thought it best
to wait until
they got home so
they could talk
calmly.
Elisa 's father,
Alberto, was
already waiting
for them to do
the Gospel at
home. They sat
at the table,
Elisa said the
opening prayer
and her father
opened the
Gospel. The
title was: "Do
good without
ostentation."
After the
reading, the
mother asked if
her daughter had
understood the
lesson, which
was
providential,
and to which she
replied:
- More or less,
mom. What do
they mean by "do
not let your
left hand know
what your right
hand is doing?"
... They are so
close that it is
impossible that
that would
happen! ...
- It is in
figurative
sense, Elisa.
Jesus wanted to
teach us to be
discreet when we
practice
charity. That
is, that when
doing good, we
do not go out
shouting to the
world what we
did. Got it,
dear?
- But why?
- If the people
we help are
thankful, we
have received
our pay. We have
already received
for what we did.
God will not
give us a reward
for our good
deed - her
father
completed.
Elisa looked
thoughtful, then
she looked at
her mother and
asked:
- It means that
I acted badly
today, isn't it,
mom?
- No, Elisa. But
it would be
better if you
had been silent
in front of the
people you
helped. What did
you think of
their reaction?
- Fatima asked,
looking at her
daughter with
affection.
The girl thought
for a moment and
said:
- I thought my
friends'
reactions were
strange! They
didn't seem be
happy! ...
- That's right,
Elisa. Put
yourself in
their position.
If you were
wearing old
clothes or
shoes, that you
got from someone
else because you
could not afford
them, would you
be happy if the
person who gave
them to you kept
commenting on
it?
- No, mom. I
think I'd feel
very ashamed and
embarrassed ...
- Exactly,
Elisa. Nobody is
happy in a
situation like
that, dear.
Therefore, it is
best to do good
and forget about
it. The person
benefiting will
always remember,
and that is what
the merit is for
those who help.
God, who knows
everything and
sees everything,
will reward us
as we deserve.
- You are
absolutely
right, mom.
Should I
apologize to
them for what I
did?
Fatima
immediately
raised both her
hands, smiling:
- No! ... No
way, dear. Your
apology would
only remind them
of what
happened. It's
like you if kept
turning a knife
in an open
wound, it would
hurt again. Just
do not mention
it again.
- Got it, mom.
And God forgive
me for what I
did without even
knowing.
- Do not worry.
God is our
Father, my dear,
and He always
involves us with
much love.
Moreover, He
knows you did
not mean it.
MEIMEI
(Psychographed
by Celia Xavier
de Camargo on
07.01.2013.)
(1)
In Brazilian
society, Dona is
a term of
respect that is
used with the
woman's first
name.
