This is a story taken, I believe, from the Apocrypha. As such, it is not deemed to be true although I like to believe it has its roots in the truth.
Our Lord and some of His disciples were travelling through a sparse and alien land when night began to fall. Anxious to gain a roof over their heads before dark the disciples were relieved to see a hovel come into view.
At the hovel they found an old man and his wife, eking out an existence on the fringe of the desert. Despite the poverty of the pair the group were warmly received and a small meal and shelter provided for the night.
In the morning it was found that the couple’s only cow and sole source of milk, had died in the night.
When they were once more on the move the disciples challenged Our Lord stating: “Could you not have done something, they lost their only cow and now they have nothing”.
Our Lord responded: “It was the old man that was due to die last night but I asked My Father to take the cow instead. Now at least the man and his wife have each other”.
How often has God intervened in our lives and given us a small tragedy in order to save us from a major one. You may well ask ‘Why did God not give the couple an added gift rather than taking from them?’ The answer lies in God’s love for us. We must not fall into the trap of believing that this life is something to be desired or is of importance; it is not.
By allowing us to suffer a little God enables us to purify our souls and reduce the time we may spend in Purgatory.
No comments:
Post a Comment