English Corner

[tabitha]

Just as a candle is lighted from another candle, so also a good work is born from a good work. A patrician wanted to donate a gold cross to a church. He summoned a young but experienced goldsmith, gave him a great deal of gold that he weighed out, and told him to fashion whatever sort of cross he desired. The poor goldsmith, seeing what a large donation this patrician was making for the sake of his soul, became inflamed with love for God in his own heart, and decided that he would add his own ten pieces of gold to the amount of the patrician's gold. When the cross was completed, the patrician weighed it, and discovered that it was heavier than the gold that he had given to the young man. He immediately began to scold the young man as a thief, suspecting that he had taken some of the gold and replaced it with some other heavy metal. When the young man saw the patrician so angry, he confessed his deed. He said: ``I added from my gold, as the widow gave two mites, in order to receive Christ's reward with you.'' Hearing this, the patrician's heart was touched, and he said to the honorable young man: ``From this day, I take you as my son, and the heir of all my goods.''

Saint Nikolai Velimirovici - "Prologue from Ochrid"