The King and his fine porcelain vases
Parables and Illustrations for Values Education |
There was once a King who had 55 beautiful fine porcelain vases. They were his treasure and he didn't have another illusion that their vases. It was hours and hours absorbed in its beauty, sweetly caressing them with her eyes.
To avoid that the minimal speck of dust fell them, she sought out the most faithful of servants, put it in the care of their exquisite vases and threatened to cut off his hand if appeared in any of them less scratch and take life if one was broken.
Carefully put the good servant, broke one of the vases and the King kept his word and killed him.
It replaced another of his men of greater trust and loyalty that, despite their dedications, the same fate as the previous and paid slight carelessness with his life.
Since that day, no one would care for the vases of the King.
Even if offered wealth, luxuries, power..., all refused his offer. Finally, arose an elder and offered its services game. He was not afraid to care for the vases of the King.
They took him to the room of actual vases and the good old man began beating with the stick vases and in few seconds, made them shatter all.
-Unhappy - shouted the King's soldiers trapped him rude, you know just in case what you have done?
-Of course that I know it: I saved life 53 servers faithful of the Kingdom.
Where your treasure is, there your heart is. We teach students to care for and appreciate things, to admire the works of art, but above all to teach them to value people and to recognize that each one of them is infinitely greater than that of all the wealth and material objects. Therefore, must not only treat us with love and care, but that nobody is allowed to cause the least damage to another by piling or protect their wealth, for power or in pursuit of their personal benefits.
Remember also what tells us the Gospel: 'Nobody loves more than which gives life by his brothers'. The Supreme ideal of the human being is the ability to sacrifice, willingness to spend and deliver their lives in pursuit of the welfare of others. Give life to life for everyone and nobody is under inhumane conditions.
It is what made Jesus and many of his followers that today we call Saints. In a world so individualistic and material, the courage to propose to the students the ideal of Holiness, to serve others with joy, even at the expense of themselves.