The Standing Giant

In Ituiutaba, a small town of Minas Gerais⁽¹⁾, a boy was born and was the tenth child of a very poor family of farmers. Despite the difficulties, the boy, whom they named Jeronimo, had a tremendous desire to be good.

From early on he worked with his father on the farm and helped people whenever he could. He was frail and sickly but he was never discouraged.

Jeronimo was seventeen years-old when, passing by a tailor shop, he was called by the owner:

- Come here, Jeronimo! I have a surprise for you!

- What is it?

- A suit!

The boy approached him and the tailor handed him a white suit, a tie and a pair of shoes, all brand new.

- Take it, Jeronimo! It's yours!

Amazed, Jeronimo took the present and very happy, rushed home. It was his first suit! Never in his life he had had a new outfit or even new shoes. Not to mention a suit!

He told his mother the news and went on to take a bath, all excited. That night he wanted to go to the cinema to watch the movie "Gone With the Wind". He put on the new clothes, the new shoes and feeling elegant went to the cinema.

When he arrived there, it was packed and he had to watch the movie standing up. When the four hour projection ended, he could not move. It was as if he was nailed to the ground.

They carried him home and a doctor was called. The doctor had to cut the pantlegs to examine him, so swollen his legs were. Medical diagnosis: arthritis.

Not knowing what that meant, the family was not impressed. However, from that day on, his life got complicated. Jeronimo had to remain in bed for months and then walk using crutches. But not discouraged, he continued working as a teacher in a rural school. However, his condition worsened continuously and, from the crutches, he went to a wheelchair and then he got bedridden.

As he had become a spiritist, Jeronimo felt a great desire to help others, work doing good, wiping tears, comforting the pain of others, telling them of God and the immortality of the soul, and also helping the needy with food and clothes. Thus, he began traveling the countryside, asking the farmers for help, and they started to assist him.

As Jeronimo was friends with the staff of radio stations and newspapers, he became well known in several states in the country.

He traveled around giving speeches full of optimism, good humor, speaking of the Gospel of Jesus and delighting people wherever he went. However, the disease progressed always. Jeronimo remained motionless in bed for thirty years, twenty of which he was completely blind. In addition, he suffered from severe heart problems, with excruciating pains in the chest. Despite all of these problems, Jeronimo remained always positive, cheerful and

talkative. Anyone who came near him would end up laughing at his stories.

Deep inside, Jeronimo knew he was a spirit very indebted with the divine laws, because he had committed numerous atrocities in past lifetimes, wronged many people, and that was the reason of having received from God such a difficult existence. As a result, he could not stop working, even if the cost was so much suffering.

Jeronimo, receiving numerous invitations to give lectures, and with his locomotion so difficult because of his health, had a friend who, through inspiration from above, drew a anatomical bed so that he could travel more easily and then another friend donated an old van, which greatly facilitated his work.

And so he began to travel extensively. His lectures attracted crowds, which seeing him in that anatomical bed, talking about Jesus, the goodness of God, the immortality of the soul, reincarnation and the need for self improvement, returned to their homes hopeful, excited and willing to a behavior more in line with the lessons that the Master has given us.

Jeronimo became an example to all, because seeing his predicament, people would reflect on their own situation and stop whining, complaining about life, recognizing that they had everything they needed.

He became known as "the lying giant", but, to us, he is "the standing giant"!

To our dear friend Jeronimo Mendonça, our gratitude and our love on his birthday on November 1st. This month of November also marks his return to the Spirit World, which occurred on 25/11/1989.

May the Lord keep him in His peace and may he increasingly evolve towards perfection.
 

Aunt Celia
 

1 – Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil and is located in the southeastern part of the country.