Sunday 10th Ordinary Time Cycle A. 4-5 June 2005 (10g)
My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Anastasius was a superior of a monastery. One day, a brother named Jacob violated the house rule and had to leave the community. Anastasius was the last one to make sure Jacob left the monastery. Several years later, Jacob returned to visit the monastery and was greeted by Anastasius. ‘Pardon me father for having interrupted your evening prayer’, said Jacob. Anastasius answered: ‘oh! Do not worry! My pleasure is to welcome you and prepare tea for you tonight.’ That night, Jacob stayed at the guesthouse of the monastery. In this guesthouse, there was a precious and famous old bible, which was given as a heritage to the monastery. The book was a very important gift and meant a lot to every member of the monastery, but Jacob stole it. He then quietly left the monastery in the early morning.
When Anastasius found out the bible was missing, he did not chase after Jacob to ask for its return. He was afraid that if he had to face Jacob, Jacob might not only be guilty of stealing, but he might resort to telling lies.
Jacob then tried to sell the bible to a businessman and asked for a great deal of money. The businessman wanted to make sure it was a good treasure, he then asked Jacob if he could take the bible to examine it. He then took the bible back to the monastery and asked Anastasius to be sure if it is a great book to be purchased. Anastasius was very surprised and happy to see the bible that was stolen from the monastery. He told the businessman that the book was a treasure and it costs more than the price that the man wanted to sell it for.
On the return, the businessman told Jacob about his visit to Anastasius and what he had told him about the invaluable price of this book. Jacob was surprised about their meeting and asked the businessman about Anastasius: Is that all that he said about the bible? Nothing else? ‘Yes’ he answered: ‘that is all.’
Jacob was moved by the action of Anastasius at a meeting with the businessman. Pause for a moment, Jacob then decided not to sell the bible. He then returned to monastery and returned it to Anastasius and asked for his pardon. Anastasius was very happy to meet with Jacob and told him: ‘you may keep the bible. But you must open it everyday, read it and pray with God, who is full of mercy to forgive our sins and ask God for his mercy. You may go now and peace be with you.’
Later, the story was told to a whole community. Everyone was very upset and asked Anastasius why was he so kind to a person like Jacob. Did he deserve to receive this special treatment? Anastasius answered: my brothers, if there is a tear in your shirt, do you throw the shirt away into a garbage bin? They answered: ‘no, we sew it’. Anastasius continued: my brothers, you knew how to treat and keep your shirt, in the same way, the Lord would not have less love for people whom he had made in his own image.
The compassionate heart of Anastasius converted the heart of Jacob. In fact, Jacob asked to return to the monastery and lived his life in good manner, faithful to God to the end.
My brothers and sisters, Anastasius was a good man and a good model for us as he shows us how to live according to the message of the gospel today. ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have come to call not the righteous, but sinners.’ Even though he knew he was a superior, he could have abandoned his brother, or given him a discipline. But he did not choose to do that, but instead he chose to be more merciful and kind in dealing with his troubled brother. He considered himself as one who was called to serve and help his own brother overcome his own crisis. He recognized that he had been called to witness by showing the love of God to his own brother. Anastasius had fulfilled a message of the gospel today. God also asks each one of us to do the same for people around us.
The challenge for us is to look at any relationship that we have in our lives, and then to see in each role of that relationship, do we behave ourselves and have a compassionate attitude toward the other party? Or do we always condemn and desert people in our relationship? If we do, then we should be sorry for that. And for now, we are invited to do one good deed or a charitable act to other people whom we love in this coming week. May the Lord be with you and bless you as always. Amen.