An old uncle at
the time of his
death left a
small ranch as
an inheritance
to his nephew
Francis, knowing
that the young
man did not like
work much.
Francis, who
loved his uncle
Onofre, was very
pleased and
grateful.
He began to make
plans. Certainly,
the ranch would
have at least a
vegetable garden
and fruit trees;
the produce
would serve him
and he would
sell the surplus
in the city.
All excited,
Francis prayed
to Jesus
thanking for the
gift received
from Uncle
Onofre. Then he
opened the New
Testament at
random and read
the parable of
the Sower,
thinking it was
a warning from
above because of
the new
activities that
he would perform
on the ranch.
Francis
carefully read
the parable
trying to
understand its
true meaning
because Jesus
was referring to
fallen seeds in
different soils,
making a
parallel with
the various
types of people.
“Some of the
seeds fell by
the wayside and
the birds ate
them. Some fell
on rocky ground
where there was
not much soil,
and they sprung
up but the sun
burned them.
Other seeds fell
among thorns
which choked
their growth,
not bearing any
fruit. Other
seeds fell on
good soil,
bearing many
fruits, with
grains that
yielded a
hundredfold,
some sixty, some
thirty.”
Francis
meditated on the
words of Jesus
to imagine what
kind of terrain
he would receive
because, as the
disciples had
not understood
it, the Master
clarified:
“The seed is the
word of God. Who
hears the word
of the kingdom
and does not pay
it attention,
will have the
spirit of evil
come and take
what was sown in
their heart;
this is the one
who received the
seed along the
way.
Whoever receives
the seed amongst
stones is
listening to the
word with joy,
but having no
roots, it will
last a short
time.
Whoever receives
the seed among
thorns is he who
hears the word
but the cares of
life and the
deceitfulness of
riches will
choke it, making
it unfruitful.
And finally, the
one who receives
the seed in the
good soil is he
who hears the
word, pays
attention,
making it bear
fruit and
producing a
hundred, sixty
or thirtyfold.”
After reading,
Francis thanked
Jesus for such
an enlightening
reading and went
to sleep. He
wanted to leave
very early to
get to know "his"
Ranch Hope.
He travelled for
several hours by
bus to reach the
village. He got
off the bus and
asked a man for
information on
how to get to
Ranch Hope but
he did not know.
A gentleman
standing nearby,
who overheard
the conversation,
said:
- Excuse me but
I happened to
have heard your
question. I live
near there and
if you accept I'll
take you to the
ranch, which is
on my way. An
employee is
coming for me.
Francis gladly
accepted,
thanking the
good man. Soon
his new friend
saw the employee
that he awaited,
and in half an
hour the car
left him at the
entrance of the
ranch.
- Thank you,
Thomas.
- You can count
on me for
whatever you
need, Francis.
See you soon!
As the car began
to move, Francis
opened the gate
and entered. In
the distance, he
saw a house and
walked up to it.
He frowned. It
all seemed
abandoned. He
opened the door,
and it opened
with an audible
squeak. He
looked around:
everything was
dusty as if
nobody had lived
there in a long
time.
|
|
It does not
matter. The
ranch is mine
and this is what
matters. I have
some land and I
will know what
to do with it.
Tomorrow is
another day. |
Thus thinking he
cleaned the
house, drew
water from the
well, and
polished the
furniture.
Soon, the
appearance of
the house was
much better. He
had brought a
packet of
biscuits and it
was his meal
that day. He
found some books
on the shelf and
began to read
them but as he
was very tired
he eventually
fell asleep.
|
The next morning
he went to see
the ranch. He
walked a bit and
found that the
land consisted
largely of a
swamp! What to
do? ... Jesus
spoke of some
soil types but
He did not talk
about this! - he
thought,
remembering the
parable.
He went back
home discouraged.
He knew how to
deal with normal
land but a swamp?
He
looked
around,
remembered
|
the
bookshelf
and
thought: |
If my uncle gave
me this ranch it
is because he
believed in my
ability to make
it progress. So
let's get to
work!
He chose some
books and sat
down to read. In
one, he found
what he sought.
It said that
certain species
of eucalyptus
drained the soil
allowing the
cultivation of
other seeds
later on.
However, in
another, he read
that doing so
affects the
ecosystem of the
swamp which is
home to many
species of
plants and
animals.
Not knowing what
to do, Francis
decided to seek
Thomas, his
neighbour, to
talk. There, he
learned that he
could make his
land very
productive by
cultivating
frogs, fish,
among other
things. And
Thomas explained
to him how to
get more
information in
the city and
made one of his
horses available
to him so he
could go to
there.
Some years later,
Francis had
managed to make
his ranch
productive by
selling frogs
and fish. In
another part of
the land, he
planted fruit
trees and
vegetable seeds,
which he sold in
town. He bought
two horses, a
few cows and
even refurbished
the old house.
He had built a
garden and
planted flowers
that brightened
the environment.
Ultimately, he
restored the
ranch
which
now was
pretty
and
pleasant. |
|
When people
asked him how he
had achieved so
much in so
little time, he
responded:
- I remembered
Jesus and the
parable of the
sower. The
Master gave me
land to
cultivate, but
the changes
would have to be
mine in order to
work the soil I
received. He
confided in me
and I could not
disappoint him,
because I
discovered that
the swamp is
like people who
do not want to
do anything,
expecting to
find everything
ready. Well,
that was how I
felt. So I set
to work, knowing
that the answer
was in myself.
Francis stopped
talking for a
moment,
thoughtful, and
then continued:
- My inner soil
just needed some
care to start
producing. Thus,
the divine
message found a
place in my
heart which now
only wants to
serve wherever
it goes, helping
those in need.
Nearby, in the
Spiritual World,
uncle Onofre
smiled, pleased
to see that his
favourite nephew
understood the
lesson and now had a productive
life.
MEIMEI
(Psychographed
by Celia X. de
Camargo on
11.03.2013.)