My Thoughts on 16/06/2021

In the first reading today St Paul writes:

“Do not forget: thin sowing means thin reaping; the more you sow, the more you reap. Each one should give what he has decided in his own mind, not grudgingly or because he is made to, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

This reminds me of the following story.

A long time ago, in a far off land, there lived a very poor man who was collecting grains of wheat from the side of the road left after the harvest to make some flour for a meal. In the distance he saw the glint of metal in the sun and heard to sound of horses. He knew it was the king coming with his chariot and soldiers. The king had a reputation for being a very generous man especially to the poor and needy. “This is my lucky day,” he thought as he stood by the side of the road looking as pathetic and poor as he possibly could with his hand outstretched. His heart leapt for joy as the chariot and solders slowed down and stopped in front of him. The king jumped down from his chariot and walked up to the man. The poor man had his hand stretched out anticipating a generous gift from the king. To his utter amazement the king came towards him and he too stretched out his hand toward the poor man. There was a long and awkward silence. The poor man eventfully reached into his sack containing his grains of wheat and place three grains of wheat in the kings hand. The king smiled at him, closed his hand over the grains of wheat and jumping back onto the chariot disappeared in cloud of dust. The poor man went back to his hovel, downcast and dejected. He poured out the grains of wheat from his sack on the dirt floor ready to make some flour and was astonished to see among the wheat he had collected three grains of gold. “If only I had given the king all my grains of wheat,” he sighed.