1 Corinthians 13 : 13
A group of salesmen were in a hurry to make their flight to a convention in Chicago. In their rush through the Airport, holding on to their tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly-missed flight.
All except ONE who told his colleagues to go on without him. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were scattered all over the floor.
The sixteen-year-old girl whose apple stand had been overturned was blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration as she tried to pick up the apples.
The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display.
When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, “Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?”
As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered, blind girl called out to him, “Mister!” He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, feebly: “Are you Jesus?”
He was dumbfounded, and could only wonder within himself. He quietly went back to where the girl was and said: “No, I am nothing like Jesus. He is good, kind, loving and would never have run into your display in the first place.”
The girl gently nodded: “I only asked because I prayed for Jesus to help me gather the apples, and He sent you.”
The salesman, full of interior joy, slowly made his way to catch a later flight, pondering the question that kept churning about in his mind: “Are you Jesus?”
St. Paul says in today’s scripture that love is the greatest of the three gifts: faith, hope, and love. It is the new commandment that is the sum of all the commandments. As St. Augustine put it: “Love and do what you like.” The person who tries to love the way Jesus loved us has nothing to fear whatsoever.
If you claim to love Jesus, you should act like Him. Loving Him is more than simply quoting Scripture or going to Church. Loving Him is actually reaching out to the vulnerable like the salesman in today’s story; it is following His example as life unfolds from day to day. It is not easy to do this, at times, but it makes life’s burden much lighter when you pass this love along.
When you are in doubt about what to do, simply ask yourself: what would Jesus do? He will show you what to do.
Fr. Hugh Duffy
4 Comments
Donna Liscia
Fr.Duffy,
I was very blessed this morning reading this message and listening to this beautiful song. I was singing along with all my heart.
I am so glad that the day I met you, you insisted that I sign up to receive your messages just as I was walking out the door of the church that you were visiting .(St. Frances Cabrini in Coram, Long Island, NY.
Thank You!!
Donna
Hugh Duffy
Donna:
Say hello to Fr. James at your parish. We had a good time together when I was there. He calls me out of the blue every now and then. Ask him how his scripture studies are doing?
Patricia
WWJD – What Would Jesus Do? A great reminder and remedy when in doubt or feeling weak. A wonderful mainstay when contemplating sliding off track. As always thank you Fr. Duffy again .
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