Parable and Conscience Meditation June 13

Community  June 13

In love for one another, we meet the Lord (Const. 3.1).

Once there was a large abbey where the monks were aging and diminishing in number. People stopped visiting them.  One day a rabbi moved into one of the fields of the abbey to study the Torah.  After a while, the abbot decided to visit him.  The rabbi was happy with this fraternal gesture.  The abbot and the rabbi entered into a long and deep dialogue.  At a certain moment, the rabbi said to the abbot, “I have a revelation for you.  But you may repeat it only once.  Father Abbot, one of you in the abbey is the Messiah.”  The abbot was very much disturbed and he left immediately to see the monks.  He called them together and said to them, “My dear brothers, the rabbi gave me a revelation.  But I can tell it to you only once.”  The abbot continued, “The rabbi revealed that one of us is the Messiah.”  The monks were totally confused.  “But how?” the asked.  “It is not possible!”  And they remained very upset.  The abbot reminded them not to repeat the revelation.  A little while later, it was evident that the atmosphere in the abbey had become more lively.  The monks did not repeat the revelation, but they began to do small gestures of kindness toward one another.  Each one began to look for occasions to make the others happy.  And little by little, the Christians began to visit again because of the spirited brotherhood of the monks.  Soon there were young men who asked to enter the community and the abbey experienced a great revival.

What do blind people want except to have their eyes opened?  (Marka)