Friday, April 20, 2012

WELCOMING VISITORS

WELCOMING VISITORS

                             Once a businessman had a dramatic dream. He was staying in his house with his wife and teen-aged daughter. In his dream, hearing a knock at the door, he opened the door. Three old men, with long and grey beards were at the door. They appeared to be noblemen tired after a long journey. He welcomed them to his house and requested them to rest and have a drink. They replied that only one of them could be invited to enter his house and the man had the option to choose the person. "What are your names?" asked the man to the strange visitors. The visitors informed that their names were: LOVE, WEALTH and VICTORY.
                            The man was confused and so decided to consult his wife and daughter before inviting one of them to enter his house. His wife was in favour of 'victory' as she wanted to be victorious in every facet of life. He personally preferred 'wealth' over the others as his only interest in life was in amassing wealth. His young daughter argued for welcoming 'love' as she felt that love was the most important aspect of life. After much argument, they decided to give preference to the opinion of their daughter. So they invited 'LOVE' into their home. Immediately all the three visitors entered their house, together, in a hurry. 
                            The man asked them why they changed their mind and decided to accompany the invited guest. Then they replied, "If you had invited either wealth or victory, only the selected one would have entered your house. But because you selected love, all three of us would gladly enter and bless your home. Where there is true love, victory and wealth are sure to enter." The man learned a great lesson about the importance of love from the angels of love, wealth and victory who visited him in his dream.
 
                            St. John, the Apostle, is known as the Apostle of Love. He learned the value of true love, while witnessing the cruel crucifixion of Christ on Calvary. In his old days, the only advice St. John used to deliver during his sermons was, "My children, you must love one another." In his Epistle, he wrote, "My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action" {1 John 3: 18}. "God is love and whoever lives in love lives in union with God and God lives in union with him" {1 John 4: 16}.
                           Worried over the lack of love among some Corinthians, St. Paul wrote to them his famous words of wisdom about real love, "I may be able to speak the languages of men and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell..." {1 Corinthians 13: 1-13}.
                           Love is the language that Jesus taught his disciples as the universal medium for evangelisation. Love can be heard by the deaf, seen by the blind and felt even by the mentally retarded.
                          We may give without loving; but we cannot love without giving. Love is giving all we can. Love is like a smile - both have no value unless given away. Karl Menninger said, "Love cures people - both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it." Mother Teresa said, "It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into what you do that counts."
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© By: Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India, Prof. Mrs. Rajamma Babu, Former Professor, St. Dominic's College, Kanjirappally and Leo. S. John, Maniparambil, Ooriyakunnath, Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally, Kottayam-686507, Kerala, India.
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