There once was a
very religious
man who wanted
to serve the
Lord with his
life and his
attitudes. Thus,
Tadeu kept away
from any less
than dignifying
acts, respecting
the Lord and
willing to do
the best to his
neighbours.
 |
In his small
property, he
lived away from
other human
beings,
constantly
praying and
begging the Lord
to protect and
help him so that
he could love
all nature,
animals and
people.
His family had
abandoned him
because they
starved and did
not agree with
his way of life.
Still, with his
thoughts always
eleva-
|
|
ted to
highest realms,
Tadeu did
nothing wrong,
feeling
intimately close
to Jesus. |
One day, a man
appeared on the
farm. Seeing
Tadeu with his
hands together
praying, the man
waited for him
to finish. When
he opened his
eyes and saw the
stranger, he
smiled:
- Ah, my friend!
Surely you were
brought here by
my prayers! What
can I do for
you? I am ready
to serve you!
The visitor,
wearing old and
torn clothes,
liked that
reception from
the owner of the
property and
pondered:
- Sir, I was
once the owner
of many lands.
Unfortunately,
with a prolonged
drought I lost
everything. Now
I seek work.
When I saw this
good land for
planting, I
decided to ask
if you could
hire me to
cultivate the
soil, giving me
as payment a
small part of
the harvest?
Tadeu thought
for a moment and
replied:
- I can’t, my
brother. The
Lord gave me
this land, and I
thank Him every
day, however I
want to return
it as the Lord
delivered it to
me.
Sad for the
missed
opportunity, the
old farmer left.
One other day, a
lively young man
came to the
farm. He saw a
man sitting on a
hammock with his
eyes closed,
hands together,
and waited for
him to end the
prayer. As he
opened his eyes,
Tadeu saw the
stranger and
wondered what he
wanted, and the
young man
replied:
- Friend, I was
passing by and
as I saw a
beautiful tree
trunk certainly
brought down by
a storm, I would
like to ask you
to give me the
trunk and I will
make a beautiful
piece of art
that will be
exposed for all
to see.
The owner shook
his head,
regretting what
happened:
- It is true,
brother. We had
a great storm in
this region and
the tree, the
most beautiful
on my farm, did
not resist and
fell to the
ground.
- I'm sorry,
friend.
After some
thought, the
farmer
considered:
- Me too.
However, I want
to keep this
trunk as it is,
to always
remember the
beautiful tree
to which this
trunk gave life,
branches and
flowers.
All requests,
petitions and
proposals were
useless. The
owner of the
farm did not
give up the huge
trunk. So the
young man said
goodbye, sadly.
After a few
days, a man who
saw the orchard
full of fruit,
many of which
already rotting
in the ground,
came over and
asked the owner
to let him pick
up the fruit and
sell them at the
market, in
exchange for a
share of the
profits. But the
owner of the
farm said:
- I cannot, my
brother. The
Lord gave me the
farm and I must
preserve it all.
The fruit fall
and the birds
have food to
eat.
So, the man went
away.
And that was how
Tadeu acted with
anything on the
farm, wanting to
keep it the way
the Lord had
entrusted it to
him, to return
it when the time
came.
|
The years passed.
The property was
now completely
destroyed; the
fence fell down
from neglect;
the fruitful
trees, lacking
care, were eaten
by bugs; the
beautiful trunk,
which had once
been praised,
now was just an
old trunk
destroyed by the
action of the
rain and worms.
The soil which
was good and
productive
before, was now
been covered
with pests and
weeds. |
 |
As for the old
farmer, he
continued to
pray, lamenting
the destruction
of his property,
which had been
so beautiful.
When he returned
to the Spirit
World, very sad,
Tadeu saw a
friendly Spirit
and asked:
- Why did the
Lord, Who gave
me a such a
beautiful place,
took away all I
had, turning it
into something
useless, despite
my devotion and
my constant
prayers?
The Spiritual
Friend smiled
sadly and
explained:
- Tadeu, my
brother, the
responsibility
for the
destruction of
your property is
yours, and not
the Lord’s, Who
is infinitely
generous. In
vain, people
were sent there
to help you work
the land, plant
seeds and get
plentiful
harvests,
yielding much,
to your own
benefit and
those who
knocked on your
door. Even that
beautiful trunk
that could have
become a great
work of art,
which you would
also collect the
benefits, but
you did not
accept the
pleadings of the
artist we sent
to help you.
Hanging his head,
Tadeu cried,
still not
understand where
he had erred:
- But, I did it
all willing to
do the right
thing! Didn’t I
spent my life
dedicated to the
service of the
Lord through
prayer! ...
- You really did.
However, Tadeu,
the Lord does
not want his
children to be
eternally
praying, but
working to learn,
produce, create
better
conditions for
themselves and
their fellow
human beings.
You never helped
anyone, and you
could have done
so much for
people! You will
be held
accountable even
to the people
who starved by
your side and
you did not
notice.
Sad, Tadeu
listened to him
while he hung
his head. His
friend ended by
saying:
- Jesus, our
Friend, left us
the greatest of
all teachings:
Love! Because
faith without
work means
nothing. From
now on Tadeu,
remember: To
work is to pray!
MEIMEI
(Psychographed
by Celia X. de
Camargo on
17/11/2014.)
