Wednesday, December 3, 2014

FISH AND FROG

FISH AND FROG


                      A boy in a south Indian village wanted to make an aquarium at home. He cleaned a wide-mouthed glass jar and layered some washed sand and gravel into it. He also planted some aquatic plants in it. He filled it with water and went to the stream near his residence. Using a coarse towel he collected a few small fishes from the stream and transferred them to his jar. He maintained and fed the animals with care and affection. He spent a lot of time watching the graceful movements of the animals swimming by the lateral undulation of their large and flattened tail.

                      A few days later, he observed tiny outgrowths on either side of the animals. They grew like legs. Later an additional pair of projections appeared which grew like hands. Later the long tail shortened and appeared like little stubs. The boy was filled with wonder and sought the opinion of his father about the unusual changes in his pet fish.

                      The father explained to him that the animals he collected were not small fishes but small tadpoles in the larval stage in the life cycle of a frog. He explained the appearance of legs and hands and the disappearance of the tail as the visible signs of metamorphosis. Soon the froglets reached full maturity and jumped out of the jar.  The boy watched with wonder how his pets jumped away in search of a new land. His father consoled him and used the occasion to tell him about the inevitable end of human life. “We too will die one day and move away with a transformed body from this world to our real abode in heaven to meet our creator, the loving God.”

                      Life after death is a reality. In the heaven of happiness reserved for the righteous, we will meet our loving Lord who created us to be with Him forever. St. Paul teaches about life after death, “I consider that what we suffer at this present time cannot be compared at all with the glory that is going to be revealed to us” {Romans 8: 18}. “What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever” {2Corinthians 4: 18}. “What no one ever saw or heard, what no one ever thought could happen, is the very thing God prepared for those who love Him” {1Corinthians 2: 9; Isaiah 64: 4}.

                      It reminds us that we have only a limited time on earth in the joyous journey to heaven. God guides us throughout this travel through His teachings in the Holy Scriptures. If we proceed with a firm faith in God, we can overcome difficult situations and make this journey of life joyful and fruitful. 

                      King Philip of Macedonia had appointed a servant in his palace, with the duty to meet him every morning and greet him with the words, “Philip, remember that you must die.”
                     'Death' is the Damocles' sword for all mortals. Death often appears unexpectedly. At every moment of life, we must be prepared for this impending end. Life is short and all worldly riches and luxury have to be left behind when we die. They give only a temporary joy. Sinful indulgence in worldly pleasures may lead to everlasting agony in a hell of horror.
                      It is said that when we are born, we cry and the people around us rejoice. When we die, people cry, and, if we are saved, we rejoice! Calvin Miller said, “Death is but a temporary inconvenience that separates our smaller living from our greater being.” Sir Walter Scott said, “Is death the last sleep? No, it is the final awakening.” Leon Jaworski stated, “Death for the Christian is a turning off the light because the dawn has come.”

                      At his deathbed, Alexander the Great instructed his close associates to leave his hands hanging free on either side of the coffin during his royal funeral procession. That was to teach the world that he could carry nothing with him on his final journey.
                      Man’s way leads to a hopeless end while God’s way leads to an endless hope. Let us plan ahead for the unavoidable departure from this world. Let us remember that it was not raining when Noah built the Ark. Death is the universal equalizer. Everyone is equal before death as death comes to all - great and small {Job 3: 13-19}.


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© By: Prof. Dr. Babu Philip, Darsana Academy, Kottayam-686001, Kerala, India ( Former Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India), Prof. Mrs. Rajamma Babu, Former Professor, St. Dominic's College, Kanjirappally,  Leo. S. John, St. Antony's Public School,  Anakkal, Kanjirappally and Neil John, Maniparambil, Ooriyakunnath, Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally Kottayam-686507, Kerala, India.  For more moral stories, parables and anecdotes for students, catechists, teachers and preachers, kindly visit our web-sites:
                         This is Story No. 326 in the second site. Please click ‘Older Posts’ at the bottom of a page to read previous stories and click 'Newer Posts' at the bottom of a page to read newer stories in these sites. Please click on a word in the 'Story Themes' to read stories on that theme.

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