I love stories; I love hearing them and I love telling them. This story isn't about Christmas, but I think it's a part of what Jesus tried to tell us as He walked with us on Earth.
The Story: While a man of God was reciting his morning devotions near a small village, a poor peasant approached him. When the holy man saw him, he said, "Can I help you?"
The peasant said, "Father, where is it?"
The holy man asked, "Where is what?"
The peasant said, "Last night I had a dream that if I came here in the morning, you would give me a precious stone."
The holy man said, "Oh, yes". He reached into a cloth sack and pulled out the largest and most beautiful ruby any one had ever seen. He handed it to the peasant, and immediately went back to his prayers.
The peasant took the ruby and carried it home in hands with the same care as he might have had it been a small bird. When he got to his little hut, he placed it on his lone table and spent the rest of the day gazing upon it in adoration.
The next morning, when the holy man was deep in prayer, the peasant approached him again. When the holy man looked up, the peasant returned the ruby. The holy man asked him if something was wrong, and the peasant replied, "I want you to give me something more valuable than the ruby. I want you to tell me what it is that you know that made it so easy for you to give this gem to me."
True wealth is not determined by how much we have, but by how little we need.
I'm a big fan of Fr. Mark Link, and I recommend to you three of Fr. Link's books, Still Point, You, and The Merriest Christmas Book. The latter book is a wonderful source of stories and reflections on Christmas...very appropriate for this time of year. Have a very Merry Christmas and a great New Year.
