Gratitude

As he arrived home, Caio was thoughtful. He had heard a classmate say that money is evil and had became concerned. At lunchtime, his father noticed that he was different and asked:

- Did something happened at school, son?

The boy thought for a moment and replied:

	- Daddy, Flávio said today that the money is evil! I got worried and decided that, from now on, I do not want anything to do with money or the allowance you give me! The father heard his son, surprised, noting his concern and then considered: - Caio, do you really think that of money? - I do not know, Dad. But I do not want to
see it hurting people because of me!

The father smiled at the child's words and said:

- That's a very fair concern, Caio. However, son, when have you hurt someone with money?

The boy went back to being thoughtful and answered:

- I do not know, Dad... I think it never happened!

As they were finishing lunch, the father agreed with the child, then commented:

- Lunch was delicious, wasn't it, Caio? There you go! Without money we would not have had this good food, or the delicious dessert that your mother prepared for us!

- Well done, Caio! God has given us our bodies to use here on Earth and we should take care of them very well. Absolutely, these things you mentioned harm the person and, often, make them sick.

- That's why we go to the doctor when we are not well! - suggested the boy.

- That's right, son! And when do we use money to harm others?

- I think that's when money is used to buy things we give to someone but that might hurt them. Just the other day I saw your friend who had been travelling and when he got back brought you a beautiful bottle of liquor as a gift. Do you remember, Dad? It was wonderfully wrapped! But then, quietly, I saw you opened the bottle and threw it all away!

- You're right, Caio. Yes, I did it for the sake of our family. So, when can we use money in a good way?

Caio did not have to think long to answer:

- When we help those in need! The other day a man knocked at our door in need of money to buy medicine, and you gave him what he needed, isn't it, Dad? He was so pleased! The old man's eyes shone with gratitude and he said: "May God reward you!". And I was very pleased with you, Dad.

With that memory, the father lowered his head, moved:

- I did not know you had seen that, son. But you're right! The need of that gentleman was such that it also touched me. See how we can make others happy with so little money?

- Sometimes we do not even need money! The other day at school, my classmate was hungry and had not brought his lunch. I had no money but shared my lunch with him. I did well, right, Dad?

The father hugged his son with tears in his eyes as he saw how, even though he was so young, Caio was sensitive to the suffering of others.

- Certainly, son, Jesus was pleased with you. The Master taught us that whatever we do to others, it's like we are doing it to Him!

- What do you mean, Dad?

- Well, suppose you are alone in the street, take a tumble and get hurt. Neither I nor your mother are there to help you. But a man sees you on the sidewalk, fallen and hurt; he stops, helps you and then brings you home. What is the feeling that your mother and I are going to have towards the man who helped you?

- You will be very grateful to him, Dad!

- Exactly, son. This is how Jesus, Who loves us all, will be grateful to those who help any of our brothers!

The boy smiled with satisfaction:

- Got it, Dad! Now, when someone says money is evil, I will answer that money itself is not bad, but it depends on how it is used, as when someone is sick, we can buy medicine; at school, with it we can buy books, notebooks, pencils; to build houses, we can buy bricks, cement and more!... On second thought, we need money for everything!

Caio then, full of gratitude for the father that God had given him, gave him a big hug, knowing that he had received much from Jesus that day! 

MEIMEI 

(Psychographed by Celia X. de Camargo on 11/05/2015.)