Lent Lesson 31: OBEDIENCE

Obedience - Compliance and submission to another one's authority

His father was always prepared about the next day. He would keep things in place ever ready to meet tomorrow . He insisted everyone to do the same. Storing water,  edible goods for the next day was always his priority.

Many teased him for that character. Many even advised him not to continue this and asked him to face every day as new. But he continued his duty and instructed his son to follow the same.

His son was very obedient. Though the old man left for eternity he always did as was instructed. He was always on toes to be prepared for the coming days. He was also taunted but he did not budge.

This continued till there was a sudden cyclone hit in the city. People were so much affected and did not even have the bare essentials. They greatly suffered without milk and other much required perishable commodities. Only he had everything prepared and he opted to share this with everyone he can. This time they had no words to say. He was finally rewarded for his obedience.

Our Heavenly Father has instructed a lot of things to us which when followed obediently brings us nothing but joy and everlasting Happiness. He has given a great path and words of wisdom to instruct us to move in the path.  Only thing He asks is to obey. 

Lent Lesson 30: MEEKNESS

Meekness -  Submissive when required to and handling a situation without anger.

She wanted to literally shout at the guy who was  taking everyone's time at the long queue. It was a fast food Centre and the place was packed for lunch. The guy at the front was taking his own leisure time asking about each dish and making his  mind before ordering it.

She was the one who was taking his order and she got literally angry. There were people who looked  hungry in the line and she felt so bad for them . Some people murmured and some even shouted at him to hurry. This angered him further and he intentionally took long now.

She had to handle this now. She knew getting angry and shouting at him wouldn't work. She decided to remain meek. She patiently explained the details when he asked for and finally said,  "Sir,  the third in the line behind you is a little girl and she looks really hungry.  I am glad to service you but cannot see the look in her eyes. Can we move a bit faster here?"

He seemed to understand the situation and moved bit faster. She was able to manage the situation properly because of not venting out her temper.

God has thousands and thousands of reasons to be angry on us.  But he remains meek and always waits for us to realize our mistakes and get back to Him. It is time to understand and change our lives and move onto Him. Also its our duty to control our temper and be Submissive as not to hurt anyone.

Lent Lesson 29: LOYALTY

Loyalty -  Strong devotion and faithfulness

He was always doing this work or the other without minding other's teasing. He used to stay late and leave office only after completing the work. People used to talk behind his back a lot. He never minded their murmurs.

He continued his duty without any compromise. For him loyalty to the Company came first before  anything else. His manager also used to tease him for working so hard. He never replied back to such comments.

One day the Manger received a letter demanding explanation for a certain amount of money spent from the CEO of the company failing which he will be fired from the Company. The Manager was shell shocked.

He never had a proper track of anything and now he cannot even justify his end. He was at wits end when he came to the Managers rescue. He always maintained proper records and he had clear record with explanation for the amount spent. The Manager was finally relieved and thanked him profusely. He politely replied,  "It's my duty."

God created everything and made us masters of His creation.  Eventually when we started falling in sin, he gave thousands and thousands of chances to make us realize our blessings and turn to His path in life. We can repay all the favors by being loyal to Him. 

Lent Lesson 28: LOVE

Love - A strong feeling of affection

He loved his cat so much that he always fed it first before sitting for his food. Always used to see whether his cat was comfortable before he left for school and in the evening used to rush to see it.

One fine day it got lost when it went for a short stroll in the fields. He just could not accept the fact. He became all teary eyed and started searching for it frantically. His parents too joined and helped him find his cat. One could neither find the cat nor console him.

He was so aghast. He wouldn't eat properly. Finally his father got him a new cat. He was so happy to get a new one and started loving it from the instant he set eyes on it. Still he did not give up the search for his old cat.Finally he managed to find it and he loved and lived with both the cats.

Our savior is the same. Though he has so many to love and live for, he would not give up on any one of us. We all are so very precious in His eyes that he just wouldn't mind forgiving us and bestowing us with the choicest blessing. Only thing He asks us is to love Him back. 

Lent Lesson 27:JUSTICE

Justice -  Fair treatment in any situation.

He was in a big dilemma. His 3 year old daughter was taking part in a fancy dress competition in which the first prize was a pack of sketch pens. She was constantly telling him that she wants the colors so badly.

It so happened he knew the judge who will give away the prizes very well. He thought of convincing him to give the prize to his daughter. He was all set to go when he glanced across the hall. All the kids were eagerly dressed to impress the judge to get the prize.

He decided against going to the judge. He felt it unfair to take advantage. Finally when the results were announced it was another boy who won the prize who happened to be his daughters friend. On getting the color pens he shared it with her and they started playing happily.

God knows what to give and when to give. He gives all the people fair share of His creation. It is our duty to be just and righteous to enjoy what is bestowed on us. 

Lent Lesson 26: JOYFULNESS

Joyfulness - Enjoying the pleasures in life without having self pity all the time

"It will cost you ₹5000 to change the damaged unit and to make the ac start working." The mechanic gave his final verdict. He felt so bad. The summer heat was flaring up and ac has became a necessity but his ac was down with repairs.

He has to shell out so much now to get it repaired. "Why me?" He thought. He was so full of self pity when he decided to go for a drive to vent his frustration. As he opened the gate of his house,  there was loud laughs and giggles.

The children in the nearby hutment were playing joyfully in the hot sun.  He stood silent for a minute.  They too have to bear the blasting sun and they cannot afford an ac. Still they find something to enjoy life and have reason to laugh.

He decided to do something.  From then on he used to offer his Maid and cook juices everyday all summer to help them battle the sun. He realized celebrating life is the only way to fight self pity. He became a better person.

God has created everything with so much care and love and have given the control over everything to us. Celebrating each and every day with this wonderful gift of life and praising Him for His grace and mercies will make life meaningful. 

Lent Lesson 25: INITIATIVE

Initiative -  Taking charge of or acting on a thing independently and setting an example for others

She tried hard asking her family to go to church every Sunday. One or the other member would have an issue and wouldn't get up in the morning. Ultimately it would end up none going to the chapel.

Finally she took the matter into her hands. Instead of being fed up and getting angry on all for not getting ready she decided to take the initiative of going to the church everyday on her own.

She used to wake up very early and go for the first prayer at church. Initially it was hard to go alone. But as days went by she got used to.  Her family members saw this great initiative of hers and decided to follow her. One by one all started to accompany her.

In a couple of months they all went to the chapel as a family regularly and had a great start of a Sunday praying together. She thanked God for the wonderful change.

Similarly God has taken the initiative to love us and care for us whatever we do. It will be fitting for us to love Him back with all our heart and lead our lives in His path. Also to treat all others as we treat ourselves. 

Lent Lesson 24: HUMILITY

Humility - Being humble when you can be boastful

He was the only one from his family who could read English. All teased him at school because he came from a non educated background. With the exception of him all went to elite tuitions to get the maximum marks.

He put on his complete efforts and left no stone unturned when he had doubts on a particular topic. He went to the teachers and got everything clarified. The teachers observing his keen interest helped him to the core.

The day the results were to be published,  all were eagerly waiting and boasted they would be getting the highest marks. He just stood in the corner praying he should pass so that he can continue his education.

When the results were out,  he was the only one who passed with distinction while people who teased him could not even manage to pass.

God has given his word - "Those who humble himself shall be exalted and whose who exalt himself shall be humbled." Even Jesus who is the King of the world was born and brought up by humble parents in a humble home. God always keeps up his word. Let's Humble ourselves before the Lord and do our duty. God's rewards will be much more than we ever imagine of. 

Lent Lesson 23: HOSPITALITY

Hospitality -  Friendly reception of guests to make them feel at home

They all got up early to make things ready. They had guests at home who were coming from Japan. They wanted to give a nice time to them that they planned it well ahead. They searched for Japanese recipes and prepared them as best as they could.

They even practiced eating with chopsticks to give them a atmosphere of feeling at home. They tried to match the ambience of authentic Japanese home too. When the guests finally arrived they were very happy. They were literally so much into the warmth of the hosts that they really didn't need a Japanese environment to feel at home.

Our savior is creating every comfort that one can ever imagine in heaven since the day he left for there after His resurrection. He is always awaiting the day we will reach him. We have to just prepare ourselves to be eligible guests to His kingdom.
Being Obedient to His word and living by His values will make us enjoy the hospitality of Our Heavenly Father.

Lent Lesson 22: GRATEFULNESS

 Gratefulness -  Being thankful or appreciating something done for the benefit of others

He never said no when others asked for his help. He would either help financially or physically according to his discretion. One day as he was walking down the street he saw a small girl begging in the street.

She looked so tired and weak. He decided to do something for her. He did not give her money. He took her to the nearby snack stall and made her eat her fill. Then took her to the nearest temple and got her flowers. He taught her to tie it in a string and helped her sell it.

He helped her for the next couple of months to get flowers regularly. Meanwhile he got her enrolled in a hostel which provides basic education too for the underprivileged. Days went by. He grew old. He was no longer able to support himself. He did not want to be in anyone's favor.

He decided to join a old age home. When he was walking towards it,  he saw a finely dressed lady come and hold his hands. She was the little girl he helped long back. She made him change his decision and stay with her. He hesitated initially for which she said, "There is something I learnt the day you changed my life for the better. It's called gratefulness and it's time to show what I learnt now."

God has given us everything and even the troubles we face is designed by him in such a way to strengthen us. It's time to show our gratitude by obeying His words and follow His path in life. We will not only have a secure future but a colorful present as well.

Lent Lesson 21: GENTLENESS

Gentleness -  Being nice and mild mannered.

She reminded him another time. "This may hurt a bit sir. Please bear it. I will hold your arm and wait till you are back to normalcy." The nurse was always gentle to everyone in the old age home . She understands everybody's pain and goes as far as she could to feel them at home.

The patients were very old and hardly ever recognized her the next time they come. But she always used to be so caring. When asked the reason for it she used to say, "I know nobody recognizes me for being extra caring but if I don't I will fail to recognize myself."

Jesus said on the way to the cross to the women crying for him. "Do not cry for me. Cry for your children"  Who can be that gentle when you are destined to die on the cross?  As children of this finest gentleman it is our duty to be as gentle as Our father to care and understand the pain of others and acting in such a way to lessen it. 

Lent Lesson 20: GENEROSITY

Generosity - Providing for others with a large heart.

He just got out of the fast food joint. He had a burger in his hand. That was the last he could afford. He should save it till night if he wants to have dinner as well. He had fallen into bad times and today just got worse.

As he stepped out,  a little girl came running to him asking for money. She was selling some books and was pestering him to buy so that she will end up getting a meal. He felt pity for the girl but didn't have any money.

He looked at the girl. She looked very weak and hungry. He finally decided he would do without dinner and gave the burger to the girl. She looked at him eyes wide and hugged him and said,  "Thanks brother".

He reached home and as he was opening the door his neighbor called out to him and said,  "We have a feast at home on the occasion of the birthday of our son. Please do come." He had more than he could eat that night.

When we turn to be generous enough to light someone's day, God in turn, turns us into stars so bright for everyone to see. Who could be more generous than creating everything and making us masters of his creation. He has given us a chance to share his duty now. Let us never put Him down. 

Lent Lesson 19: FORGIVENESS

Forgiveness -  Ability to overlook someone's deeds which has hurt you a lot.

She could not forget the words. "What do you know about motherhood? You were never a mother. You cannot conceive at all." Her neighbors words felt as though a knife pierced her heart. She was watching her neighbors daughter getting spanked and rushed to her to protect her when she heard those cruel words.

She sat silent for a while. Then she decided to leave it for good. It's no use carrying it in heart.  After all its true. She did not have a child so far. She went back to her usual routine. She decided to forgive and forget.

A couple of months later she went to the doctor feeling sick. After some tests she was found  pregnant with twins. She thanked the day she decided to be forgiving for God has blessed her doubly for it.

God gave a wonderful present to us for crucifying him on the cross. His forgiveness. We may not be in a position to return any gift to Him but the least we can do is to share this wonderful present with everyone. Forgiveness always blesses us with more than we have lost or felt.

Lent Lesson 18: FLEXIBILITY

Flexibility - Adjusting little or more discomfort to accommodate others comfortably.

He looked at the old man one more time. He looked old enough to be incapable to climb to the upper berth allotted to him in the train. But he seemed not to know the local language and hesitant to ask others for help.

He felt to have understood his feelings and went to the old man and made him understand that he is willing to give his lower berth. Though he got sprained in his ankle he struggled to get to the upper berth and looked down.

The smile and the sparkle on the old man's eyes was medicine enough for his pain. He slept soundly like never before.

We often hesitate to even adjust ourselves to a little discomfort though it may bring a big change to someone's life. Our God, the King of the Universe gave up all his comforts to change the lives of all the mankind.

We should have him as an example and be flexible enough to accommodate the needs of others as far as we can to stay blessed.

Lent Lesson 17 : FAITH

Faith -  Strong belief and complete trust

She was shouting and jumping. Her favorite cartoon character Superman was on TV endorsing a particular chocolate. She was so excited to immediately buy it and eat it.

The advertisement claimed the chocolate helped in brain development of the kid and helped her get good marks in the test. She was seen pestering her parents to get it immediately. Her father got annoyed and asked, "Why do you believe this chocolate will help you get good marks?".  She replied,  "Because Superman said so."

We often lose this belief and trust in God who have promised us and given us so many incidents to prove it to us. But God never loses his trust on us. He strongly believes we will get back to him one day and  waits for the day protecting us in His care all the while. Having unwavering faith on Him will help us renew our bond with Him and become a better person. 

Lent Lesson 16: ENTHUSIASM

Enthusiasm - Eagerness and enjoyment in things

He was so eagerly waiting for his results. He was promised a lot of toys by his father if he stood first in class. He already decided what toys to get. He studied so hard and sincere and prayed well to be the best in his class.

When the results were finally out he was thrilled. He was the first in his class. He proudly showed the card to his father. He took him to the toy store. He was running here and there with eyes open wide. The toy store had shelves taller than him. He finally got the results for his hard work for which he enthusiastically waited.

God got so enthusiastic about his idea of creation of the world that he gave his best and created everything with great care. He is proud of his results. He always holds us as a Prize and overlooks all our shortcomings and gives us umpteen chances to get back to him.

The only way to reciprocate His feelings is by having the same enthusiasm towards meeting him in prayers.

Lent Lesson 15: ENDURANCE

Endurance - Bearing uncomfortable and non compliant situations without giving in.

She was admitted to the hospital for delivery. Her parents and friends were waiting outside the labor room praying for her. She was not able to even move an inch or listen to what the nurses were telling her. Her Non cooperation delayed the delivery process.

She was screaming and yelling in pain. The eldest of the nurses come close to her ears and said,  "Dear please listen and do as per we tell you to.  Endure your pain for a bit and get ready to welcome the most beautiful baby on earth. It is waiting to come to your arms."

She finally cooperated and endured her pain for a while only to experience the joy of holding her flesh and blood in the tiny form.

Our savior has conceived and delivered each and every one of the living being with utmost care. It is so hard to imagine such an endurance and patience to design each and every thing in the world. We should remember this every time we are encountering an intense situation that requires much enduring. God will make sure all the pain gets replaced with happy tears. 

Lent Lesson 14 : DISCRETION

Discretion - Speaking or behaving in such a manner to avoid conflicts.

The situation was getting tense. They both started arguing. He paused in the middle. He wondered what will he gain if he continues to argue. He may or may not win the argument. At the end he will be exhausted and may end up losing his acquittance with the other guy.

He said, "Am sorry. I do not know the facts correctly. Will check and let you know. Let's not spoil our mood on this." And shook his hands with the other guy and left. The latter was satisfied for a while after which he verified the facts and found he was wrong. He felt bad and apologized. Their relationship grew even stronger and closer.

Jesus said to His father, "Forgive them father for they know not what they are doing" as his last words on the cross. "He had intense agony and complete reason to hate the entire mankind and vanquish everything. But he choose not to.

He choose the right words to convince the Heavenly Father not to relieve the mankind of his mercies. We can never match Jesus in this regard but can try our best to use the right words and action as to never hurt anyone or end up fighting.

Lent Lesson 13: DISCERNMENT

Discernment - Ability to Judge whatever God has decided and done in our lives is for our own good.

He was really frustrated. He was transferred back to a different place after a year and a half in this town. He has just started to plan to buy a new house in the town. This transfer came a shock to him.

All the packing and moving really had him worried. He has to take care of his elderly parents, toddler son and pregnant wife too. After a deep thought he finally concluded everything happens for his own good and moved to the new city.

A couple of months later there were a big communal riot at the previous place and would have ended up with them being victimized. He really thanked God for bringing him safely to this new place. His family has really got acquainted with this place better than the previous one.

Whatever God has decided for us will be much much better than what we plan and decide to do for ourselves. Though it may seem clumsy in the beginning we should be wise enough to accept his decision in life and go along with it.

God never forsakes even a tiny insect. We should trust him completely and communicate our needs and concerns through prayers.  

Lent Lesson 12: DILIGENCE

Diligence - No negligence towards duty and persistent effort to get work done.

It was a house warming function. The little girl of the owner was showing a guest around the house when they praised the beauty of it. She was happy to show around the place to them.

They finally said you have a beautiful house dear. She replied,  "Well this is not my house. It belongs to the bank. Till I grow big my parents have to pay off the EMI. But one day this will surely be entirely mine. They have promised to put all efforts they can to get it done as soon as possible."

Her parents will definitely never neglect their duty to strife hard to get their beloved daughter the house they lovingly built. Our Heavenly Father is much more than that. He never gets a second rest and works all the time everyday to gets us the best things.

It is our Prime duty to take time to pray and attend mass to praise him in masses. We often crib about this. Just think of a day when God forgets his duties and takes a break.  Following the example of  our Creator,  we need to never neglect our duties and always be on toes to get it done. 

Lent Lesson 11: DETERMINATION

Determination -  Not willing to take the easy way out even when the hard goes harder

He was the lead guitarist in the rock band. They were scheduled to give the first public concert in a month. All in the band were too excited and happy. But fate had other plans.

A couple of days later when they were returning from a show the vehicle met with an accident and he badly injured his hand. He could not accept the fact that he won't be playing in the concert.

He was determined to play. He started practicing with the other hand. It was hell painful but he did not give up. Finally he played guitar in the other hand at the concert. In due course he became the only person to play guitar in both the hands.

Similarly God is so determined on each one of us that he is not ready to disown even one from His kingdom however bad we are. He is even willing to wait forever. He creates umpteen events to help us understand His love and gives equal number of chances to come back to him.

Our only determination should be never to let Him away from our lives. 

Lent Lesson 10: DEPENDABILITY

Dependability - Ability to fulfill the duties assigned even if it means making small sacrifices.

He was always calling her name from morning till night. From morning coffee till retiring for a shut eye he used to be seen always asking her for everything.

She used to ask him for every simple detail at home. Kitchen stuff,  shopping, home care and everything she used to ask him and finalize things. It was a regular thing for both of them.  They were so into each other that both didn't mind getting  on hands to help the other.

Both were so emotionally dependant on each other. They made sure the other was taken care of while it hails or shines. They couldn't just live without each other. Dependability on each other is the key for their survival.

Getting to know someone will be there for us whatever happens is the basis of dependability.  God has assured us of this the day He created the heaven and the earth. Though we forget him often, He holds our hand steady always and makes us see the beauty and purpose of life. 

Lent Lesson 9: DEFERENCE

Deference -  Being polite and understanding others though the heart may be in a storm.

He was shocked on seeing his purse. It was empty. He knew well that he had kept ₹5000 on his wallet. It was gone now. He tried hard to remember where he placed it but could not. Finally he concluded it was lost.

It was the final amount he had to while the month with. Now that it was lost he did not know where to go to. He had so many commitments in hand with the ₹5000 . He felt helpless and sad.

He was sitting in a shop with all this thoughts going on his head. He did not notice the owner getting out. He was all alone in the shop. Suddenly a lady walked in and started complaining of a particular snack sold at the shop which caused tummy ache in her son.

He rose to defend saying he was not the one responsible when saw the owner coming hurriedly inside. His face was so drenched in despair that he felt pity in him and did not utter a word to the lady when she was pouring her blows.

Finally when she came to a stop he gave her a glass of water and politely told her that her complaints will be heard soon and that he prayed her son would recover soon. She got a bit composed.

Then he told her he was in no way related to the shop.  She was very much shocked and apologized to him. She was so surprised to see such a polite person that she left the shop without further word.

The owner of the shop who was watching all this intently came up to him and thanked him profusely and offered him a job as he was short handed and gave an advance of ₹10000 . He was doubly rewarded for his politeness.

 Our Heavenly Father when crucified on the cross,  prayed for the last time to his father saying 'Please forgive them for they know not what they are doing.' None can repay that gesture to the extreme rudeness of crucifixion.

We may not know what each person is going through. Though our mind may be restless if we put on a polite smile it will definitely get back to us.

Lent Lesson 8: DECISIVENESS

Decisiveness -  Not being double minded when you have decided to follow the right way even if it means facing trouble in the middle.

Matthew and Mark were good friends. Last new year they made a resolution of reading bible every day and complete reading the entire bible. They made a schedule to read it fully in 365 days.

They started with a great zeal.  A couple of months sped by. Slowly they started drifting from their decision. Matthew was the first to realize it. He decided firmly to stay by his resolution. When he felt bored to read he didn't stick to the schedule and started reading biblical stories to interest him and prevent him from drifting from the path.

Whereas Mark was not that firm in his decision. After a couple of months he decided that saying rosary was sufficient as he could say it anytime without having to read. As days went by he lost interest in that too.  He decided to pray everyday for fifteen minutes to stay close to God. Then it got reduced to a couple of minutes and finally nil.

At the end of the year Matthew has completed reading the Bible fully and felt close to God through His word. Mark felt lost and guilty not keeping up to realize his resolution.

Sticking to a decision is often a difficult thing. But when we decide on something good and put in all our efforts to realize it God makes sure we reap the richest rewards. The proper decision in life will steer it the right way and takes us a step closer to God. 

Lent Lesson 7:CREATIVITY

Creativity -  Approaching things in a novel way for a better cause.

Once a kid was gifted with a play dough and some moulds. It started to roll the dough and cut shapes as per the mould. The kid liked it so much that he always played it. He reached a stage when he was tired of playing with the same moulds.

He started to lose interest when his parents decided to do something.  They showed him the way to make shapes out of it without any moulds. He got excited. He started playing with the dough again making more creative shapes everyday.

Similarly God teaches us various methods to get us interested in the word of God and the proper ways of living. We need to be proactive to identify them and be creative in our own way to get them practiced in our life.

We can have our own way of getting us to avoid temptation and follow the word of God. Once it gets obsolete we need to be creative to identify other method to get us falling away from the path of God. 

Lent Lesson 6 : CONTENTMENT

Being content with what we have and be thankful for it.

They spent a solid one hour searching for the best present for their son. They wanted nothing but the best for him. They see no rest till they are completely satisfied with the quality of the product he gets.

This time it was his birthday and they went an extra mile to get the best present. They finally selected the latest model remote controlled car and covered it with a gift wrapper. They could hardly wait to show it to him.

On reaching home,  they held out the present to him. He got it with great excitement and pestered them to open it. After opening he grabbed the wrapper and ran off to play with it. He just wouldn't see the car at all. They tried their best to get him to play with the car but couldn't. Finally they gave up.

His requirement was something to play with and he was content with the shiny wrapper. They were dejected because they were chasing the best. There would always be something better than the best.

Contentment with what we have gives us joy what nothing else could bring. Contentment can be brought in life only by being thankful to all the gifts God is showering us every day. Take a couple of minutes every day to thank God for the wonderful life God has given us. 

Episode 12

Kandasamy fainted on seeing the old man's wound heal. It was too much for him to bear. It was the second immortal he had witnessed in a day. He could not get a plausible explanation for any of that. When he regained his senses he found he was lying in a bed.

The old man was seated on a chair and watched him intently. Kandasamy raised slowly from the bed. The old man immediately jumped and rushed to him. He was clutching a portrait tightly in his hand. He was shoving it under Kandasamy's eyes and shouted, "Tell me how he looks like now. How has he disguised him after these years."

Kandasamy wanted to badly run from the place.  There was something so haunting about that old man and he feared about him. He could not make any sense on his blabber. He knew he had no choice but to see the portrait and answer the old man.

He took the portrait in his hand. It was a very old one and the person on that looked like a King. He had never seen that person before. He conveyed it to the old man. The old man looked shocked. He called out Raj.  He asked him to show the various images of the King he had photoshopped in his laptop.

He opened an album and asked Kandasamy to identify Vinoth in any of that. Kandasamy's head started to roll.  He has not seen any of that person in the album. He denied seeing any of them. Finally almost dragging,  Rajarajan took Kandasamy to the portrait room.

He took him to the shelves of the portraits and started showing all the portraits to him. He could not bear any of that.  He was getting utterly confused.  He could not see Vinoth or even his resemblance in any of them.

He was planning to somehow get out of Rajarajan's hold and out of the house.  He was planning when he suddenly saw a portrait that resembled Vinoth. He reached for it and took it in his hand. It was the spitting image of Vinoth. He shouted, "This is him."

Rajarajan grabbed the portrait and his eyes sent wide. It was never the king then.  It is Thondaiman. "Raj,"  He shouted "We need to find the Kings grave then".  Raj went mad. He shouted back, "Now that we know it's not the king why on earth do we need to find him now."

"Call Professor Shanmugam immediately and ask him about his progress. I will explain things in a while. " He Ordered Raj and went back to his thoughts. Raj,  though red with fury obliged to end it all.

He went to the other room to talk. Rajarajan was sitting in the rocking chair and rolled to and fro for what it seemed ages when Raj came back." It seems we have come to an end then.  The kings grave, skeletal remains and last possessions are found by Shanmugam. We will start immediately. "

Rajarajan could not believe his ears. When Srinivasan gave the suggestion of funding an archeologist to find the king he was skeptical bit now it had turned out fruitful. As he turned to leave,  he heard Raj say," They found everything except the Signet ring it seems. "

" What? " He screamed. A loud thud distracted them. As they rushed to the window all they could see was a bright silhouette image and street light brightly illuminated his ring in the left hand.

" who is that? "Raj shouted. The person turned back to reveal a panting tired Vinoth." Selvan stop. Our cure lies in your ring. " Rajarajan shouted and fell on the ground.

Lent Lesson 5: COMPASSION

Compassion - Contributing whatever we can to lessen the pain of the hurt.

A dog just gave birth to a litter of puppies. It was a cute briskly bunch of 6 dogs. The new born lay basking in the sun and glittered like gold. Everyone who witnessed became so excited and started clicking pictures and sharing them.

A 5 year old wanted to see what the commotion was all about and he too was excited. He watched the dogs for a while and hurried to his home. He brought his milk bottle,  opened it,  poured it in a saucer and placed before the dogs. When asked why,  he replied, "They seemed hungry." The dogs lapped up the milk in a jiffy.

We often get carried away by our thoughts of self centered attitude that we fail to feel human. Being human is sharing the pain of others to lessen it. Even a small gesture of compassion makes a huge difference in someone's life.

God has summarized it wisely,  'Love others as you love yourself.' Contributing whatever we can - money, time, physical effort, kind words to make even ones life pleasant will make our life meaningful.

Lent Lesson 4 : CAUTIOUSNESS

Caution to prevent wrong things from happening.
Beaches are always fun whether you are a kid or an adult. The sight of variety of crowd in the beach,  various stalls , the cool waves,  smooth sand and the alluring aroma of various snacks always makes us want more.

A short trip to the beach of a family with a kid will make us understand the importance of caution. A big bag loaded with diapers,  Wipes, cloth, papers,  plastic bags, toys, water, milk,  a spare dress,  woolen accessory,  a small snack -  all these kept ready to keep the baby comfortable at all times.

The parents cannot change the way the beach sounds or the people coming there to suit the baby's comfort level.  They try to comfort the baby by giving it's favorite things and make it feel at home. Being cautious and making sure the baby is fine at all times ensures a happy trip to both the parents and the baby.

Similarly we can relate the relationship we have with our creator. We have to  be cautious and ensure that nothing bad happens to ensure a safe journey in life. We can prepare by praying and indulging in only the correct things to avoid turmoil in our life.

Be cautious enough to identify points of temptation and not falling in to have a happy life. 

Message of love

They were dating. Every night was filled with sweet nothings. She was always very expressive while he kept things to himself. She always said I love you often but he simply replied with a smiley.

Today was the same. They were chatting for a long while. She started to feel drowsy. She conveyed him the same and wanted to retire to bed.'I love you.  Good night. 'She texted for the last time for the day.

His reply was the same.' Good night dear. ' She felt a bit bad. She asked him.' Why don't you say I love you? ' He again replied with an emoticon.
She gave up. She texted back.' You tell me when you feel like.  I will wait. 'She locked the Mobile and placed it on the bedside table.

PING.
A WhatsApp message. She was pretty sure it was a emoticon. She unlocked the Mobile. It was from him. It said, ' I love you'. It continued,  ' You need not wait.  I love you always. ' 

She replied with a emoticon this time. 

Lent Lesson 3: BOLDNESS

Bold to say no to wrong things at the right time.
It was the first day at college. Pre final year students formed a gang to rag the new comers. He was one among them. His mind was nagging him all the time.

He did not want to do any of that. But did not want to be alone. The 'raggers'  started their work. He felt too guilty. Finally he came to a decision. This was too much to bear. He stood up against them.

He said they were wrong and asked them to stop. Though shaking terribly inside he was able to influence a couple of people who shared his thoughts. They stood together and managed to stop a few students from getting bugged.

God wants us to do the same. Being bold enough to say no to wrong things even when the majority does it is what the world needs now. Even if it makes a difference to one soul it is worth it.

Boldness doesn't require physical strength or financial power. It just requires a good heart to stop wrong things from happening. 

Lent Lesson 2 : AVAILABILITY

Availability
"This is the final call for token no. 11. "Noone turned up. The teller at the bank finally gave up. He moved to the next token number.  A couple of minutes later a man hurriedly came running to the counter.

" I have been waiting for a long time. Just went out for some refreshment. How can you call the next token number? " He shouted at the teller. The teller had a simple reply. " You were not available sir. "

Humans cannot wait indefinitely but God always wait for us to realize our mistakes and forgive us with his grace ever. Only thing he asks is we need to be available to  him.

 We can be available to him through our regular prayers to communicate with him. Spare a couple of minutes every day to thank and ask for His grace.