Celso and his
mother were
walking in the
orchard of their
farm when the
boy saw a
beautiful orange
tree loaded with
ripe fruit that
looked
delicious, and
pointed out:
|
- Look, Mom,
what a beautiful
orange tree! We
can hardly see
the leaves
because its
fruits are all
over them! These
oranges must be
very good.
His mother
smiled,
agreeing:
- Yes, honey. It
really is
beautiful!
The boy
considered after
some thought:
- Mom, this was
the kind of tree
that Jesus
referred to when
He talked about
the good trees
which are
blessed because
they give many
fruits, wasn’t
it?
|
 |
|
- That's right, Celso. You
remembered well,
darling. They
are like people
who take
advantage of the
conditions they
have to spread
blessings around
them.
They continued
walking in the
orchard, when
Celso saw,
nearby, a tree
with dry,
twisted and dark
branches. Around
it, on the bare
soil, only
garbage and
stones piled up.
Celso opened his
eyes wide,
looking at it
full of
compassion:
|
 |
- Mom, this poor
tree! I wonder
what happened to
it?
His mother
looked at the
tree, now only a
shadow of what
it once was, and
explained:
- Honey, under
the protection
of the Lord in
this life each
one of us has to
give the best we
received from
God, it does not
matter if we are
plants, animals
or humans. This
lemon tree has
already
|
|
given
much
fruit,
though,
with
time,
its
forces
started
dwindling
down and
it
surrendered
to
uselessness.
Thus,
the
worms
took
hold of
it,
dominated
its
roots
and its
beautiful
trunk.
Today,
it can
no
longer
react
and
around
it there
is only
sadness
and
desolation. |
Celso thought
for a moment,
looking at the
withered trunk
of the lemon
tree, and
commented:
- Mom, I
remember now ...
when I was a
child, it was
beautiful and we
had many
delicious juices
from its lemons!
And I liked to
climb it! What a
shame to see it
like that! ...
They settled by
the trunk of a
mango tree and
continued
talking.
Suddenly, Celso
said:
- Mom, wasn’t
about this that
we were talking
the other day in
our Gospel at
Home?
The mother
agreed with a
nod:
- You remembered
right, son.
Jesus, passing
by a certain
place saw a fig
tree that did
not give fruits
and compared it
to the people
who produce
nothing. It was
just an example
because it was
not fig season.
- I remember,
Mom. I also felt
very sorry for
the fig tree!
And the same
happens to
people, right?
Sometimes, they
can bear fruit,
do good things,
but do nothing,
and then, as
time passes by,
they are no
longer able,
even if they
wanted.
- You are right,
honey. We are
all reborn with
a lifetime
programme to be
carried out. But
the day-to-day
activities end
up causing us to
forget the
programme we
would like to
accomplish,
delving into
unimportant
things that only
make us waste
time.
Celso frowned,
trying to
understand, then
asked his mother
to explain
further. Full of
good will, she
thought for a
moment and
asked:
- Celso, when
you have a test
the next day,
what do you
think of as you
are coming home
from school?
- I think about
lunch and then
concentrating to
study for the
test!
- And is that
what you do?
He thought for a
moment and
replied:
- No, Mom. If I
step into the
living room and
see the
television on, I
stop and watch
it. Then, I
cannot study nor
do well on the
test!
- Do you
understand? You
move away from
that which you
had planned to
do and do
something else
that means
nothing to your
life!
Celso nodded,
showing he
understood and
added:
- That’s true!
We usually do
that in our
existence, isn’t
it, Mom?
She agreed and
told him that if
he thought about
it carefully, he
would see how
many times it
had happened,
leaving the most
important
programming
behind.
As they got back
home, Celso went
to his room
remembering all
that he had
talked about
with his mother,
and was
concerned about
how he had been
acting.
At school, he
was always
talking to his
classmates
during class.
When he got
home, full of
good intentions
to study after
lunch, a friend
would appear to
invite him to
play ball or go
to the club. On
the weekend it
wasn’t
different; he
always had good
plans with his
friends ...
which did not
involve
studying, of
course!
With that in
mind, Celso
decided that he
would, from that
day on,
concentrate on
his studies.
After all, he
wanted to make
it to medical
school and if he
continued as he
was, he would
never get in.
 |
So Celso went to
the kitchen,
where his mother
was preparing an
afternoon snack,
and said:
- Mom, if my
friends come to
call me, tell
them I can’t. I
am studying! If
they want to
study too, they
can join me.
Otherwise, no. I
decided to be
like the orange
tree: full of
fruits.
His mother
opened a
beautiful smile
and hugged her
son with
affection. She
understood.
Celso had
resolved to
fulfil his
|
|
life programme. |
MEIMEI
(Psychographed
by Celia X. de
Camargo on
15/06/2015.)
