The story is told of a poor boy who would always pass by a store
in his neighborhood to ask for food that he could bring home to feed his sick
father. He did this every day for one simple reason: the store owner was
kindhearted and generous.
After
a few days, the store owner began to wonder why the boy was no longer passing
by his store. He asked the people in the neighborhood about the boy and learned
that the boy's family had moved to the city to stay with a relative.
Twenty
years later, the store owner had become old and sick. He had already closed his
store because there was no one left to manage it. One day, a wealthy young man
came looking for the former store owner. The young man was eventually brought
to him.
There,
he introduced himself as the boy who used to ask for food for his sick father.
The old man's eyes lit up, and he asked, "Why are you here?"
The
young man replied, "I am here to repay your kindness."
He
then brought the sick man to the hospital and paid all of his medical expenses.
After the old man was discharged, the young man invited him to live with him
permanently.
In
the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus speaks about giving back to those who do good
to His followers. What does this mean? It simply means that whatever good we do
for those who follow Jesus will be rewarded many times over.
Of
course, we all know that Jesus does not want us to limit our acts of kindness
only to His followers. He wants us to do good to anyone who is in need—to the
poor person wandering the streets, to the beggar asking for alms, and to a
relative who may not ask for help, yet whom we know in our hearts is struggling
and in need of our support.
We
do not do good because we expect something in return someday. We do good
because of our deep love for Jesus. When we genuinely love Him, that love
naturally moves us to serve, help, and care for others.
When was the last time we reached out and did something good for someone in need?– Marino J. Dasmarinas
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