Once upon a time, there is an monastery where all the monks were old, tired and waiting to die. They’d lost their fire for the Lord and had long since ceased to really care about their fellow brothers. Although they shared the same living space, prayed together, ate together, and worked together, each monk lived in his own world with heart and mind turned inward.
Then one day, a holy man visited them. He was a monk himself. For a time he lived with the old brothers, prayed with them talked with them, worked, ate, and slept with them. He was wise and loving. The brothers turned their hearts and minds outward and listened to him.
When the time came for him to leave, this holy man stood before the brothers who were bidding him farewell and wished them God’s peace. Some of the monks shook their heads sadly; there’s nothing
here for us now that you’re going, they thought. But the visitor’s last words to them were:
“Christ dwells in your midst.” Then he walked away.
Well, the brothers were quite astonished. They looked at one another with surprise. Which one of them could be the Christ? Yet their visitor was a holy and reliable man who had spoken the truth to them the whole time he was in their company. This too must be true. One among them must be Christ!
So each of the monks began to treat the other as if he were Christ, for they didn’t know who it was. They looked for ways to serve one another and were kind to one another and shared with one another. Each did his work as a gift to the Christ who was among them. Each honored his fellow monk by listening with full attention and respect. They began to overlook little things that had annoyed them about one another and began instead to see the good that was in every person.
Life began to flow back into the dying community. A vitality and joy was reborn that had been lost for many years. The people of the town nearby learned that something has changed at the monastery. In curiosity they came, and in love they were received. Each was graciously welcomed and made to feel at home. Every
effort was taken to care for their needs, and each monk accepted visitors as they were. Men, women, and children came to be refreshed and renewed. The brotherhood grew as men came, even from far away, to join the community.
All the visitors and the new brothers were treated as if they were Christ, for the wise monk had said, “One among you is Christ.” ( Summarized from https://stmarymtangel.org/)
REFLECTION:
The story is a great reminder for us regarding how we see and serve other, especially our family members. We tempt to label others in small boxes of prejudice.
“He is very lazy,
She is always late,
He hardly finishes any job…”
We are invited to see outside of the box of prejudice.
We are invited to see the good in other people.
We are invited to treat each one with love and respect.
We are invited to serve one another as Chirst in them.
and we are invited to love Christ inside us and become an image of Christ for one another.
With love,
Little-pencil
Little-pencil 