Monday, January 27, 2014

LEGEND OF A LAME SHEPHERD

LEGEND OF A LAME SHEPHERD

                                A beautiful skit transmitted by the Shalom TV during Christmas, 2013 portrays the legend of a lame shepherd who visited Baby Jesus during the first Christmas. It was adapted from the classic Christmas opera, “Amahl and the Night Visitors”of 1951 composed by Gian Carlo Menotti (1911-2007), the renowned Italian- American composer.
                                The lame shepherd, Amahl, looked after a small herd and stayed in his poor hut. The children of Bethlehem used to make fun of him and even carry away his humble belongings. A walking-stick was his most precious and essential possession without which he could not walk. Using the staff, with much strain and difficulty, he used to move along the hilly roads of Bethlehem along with his herd. On that bright and beautiful Christmas night, angels appeared on the sky and informed the shepherds that their Saviour has been born. The lame shepherd saw the angels but was not inclined to visit Baby Jesus though his fellow shepherds followed the angels’ direction.
                                Later the three wise men from the East (Kaspar, Melchior and Balthazar) came to his hut, on their way to meet and adore the new born Jesus, as directed by the Divine Star. The magi enquired about the way to Bethlehem. The lame shepherd gave them directions and followed the Magi, using his walking stick as support, with great effort. He saw the moving star which directed the Magi and was excited by its miraculous form and graceful movement. Reaching the Holy Family, he saw the Magi place their precious gifts before the Holy Child. {Matthew 2: 11}. The shepherd was overjoyed to witness the Holy Family. He laid his only possession, his walking stick before the Baby, hoping that it would be a support for Joseph during his travels and a toy for Baby Jesus, later on.
                                With great difficulty, he returned to his hut without the supporting stick. He fell down and had to struggle a lot to travel without the stick. Arising from a fall, he realized that he had been miraculously cured of the inborn disability in his legs. He could now walk and run with ease without any support. He jumped with joy, praising the Lord’s mercy. The children, who were totally transformed on meeting Baby Jesus, returned to him the fruits they had stolen from his hut and begged his pardon. He pardoned them and talked to them eloquently about God’s mercy. The healed shepherd danced with joy along with the children and sang a song of praise.
                                There is a prerequisite for an answer to our prayers: God wants our participation to perform a miracle in our life. Once, a large crowd of people was listening to the teachings of Jesus. He knew that they were hungry and wanted to feed them. He wanted their co-operation to do a miracle. The Apostles and other elders could not offer anything to Jesus. He asked, “How much bread have you got? Go and see” {Mark 6:38}. Then a small boy willingly offered to Jesus, the five loaves of bread and two fish, which he had brought with him from home, for his meal. Jesus gladly accepted the boy's humble offering, blessed it and multiplied it miraculously to feed the crowd of thousands {John 6: 1-14}.
                                 Jesus taught that the two little copper coins offered by the poor widow with her full heart were more valuable than the lots of money offered by the rich men {Luke 21:1-4, Mark 12: 41-44}. Small children may not be able to do what the elders can. Let us offer to Jesus the little things we have and the humble acts we do. He will gladly receive them and reward us.
                               “Give to others, and God will give to you. Indeed you will receive a full measure, a generous helping, poured into your hands-all that you can hold” {Luke 6: 38}.“…we must help the weak, remembering the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving” {Acts 20: 35}.
                                St. Paul taught,“Each one should give, then, as he has decided, not with regret or out of a sense of duty; for God loves the one who gives gladly. And God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause” {2 Corinthians 9: 7, 8}. “He gives generously to the needy, and His kindness never fails” {Psalms 112: 9, 2 Corinthians 9: 9}.”Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God” {Hebrews 13: 16}.
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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.
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                         This is Story No. 296 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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