Once there
lived in the city an officer of the palace court. One day he was sent by the
king to someone as a messenger. On the road, he found a dead person, who was
naked. The officer was saddened with this lamentable image of misfortune and
said to his servant, ‘take my horse and go on a bit’. The officer dismounted
and approached the dead man. Taking off some of his clothing, he covered the
dead man with them.
A few days
after this incident, the officer was once again dispatched in the service of
the king. But as soon as he left the city, he fell from his horse and broke his
leg. He was immediately taken to his house, where he was beset by horrendous
pain. The doctors looked after the ill man, but without result. After
five days, his leg turned to black. When the doctors saw this symptom they
became very concerned and, so that the rest of his body would not become
infected, decided to amputate his leg.
On hearing
this decision of the doctors the officer became very upset, wept over his
misfortune, and, because of his sadness, could not even sleep. The night after
he learnt this terrible news he remained completely sleepless. The lamps in his
room thus being lighted, around midnight there came to the attic window an
unknown man who approached him. ‘Why are you crying and why are you sad?’ The
officer answered him, ‘Sir how could I not cry? For no good reason I broke my
leg, and tomorrow the doctors are going to amputate it.’ This unknown man then
said to the suffering officer, ‘show me your leg.’ He began forthwith to anoint
the leg of the sick man and to massage it. After a short time, he said to the
ill man, ‘Get up and walk.’ ‘I cannot, Sir, because it is broken.’ ‘Do not be
afraid,’ the man told him, ‘lean on me.’ In fact, the officer of the palace
guard rose up from his bed and walked; he had become perfectly well.
After this
strange miracle, the unknown man said to the healed officer; ‘See, you have
become perfectly well. Lie down and rest from your night time vigil and your
sufferings and do not worry.’ Continuing he spoke a few words about the value
of charity, based on the words of Holy Scripture: ‘Blessed are the meek (poor):
for they shall inherit the earth’ (Matt. 5:5) and ‘For He shall have judgment
without mercy, that hath showed no mercy’ (James 2:13).
Following
this short dissertation, the unknown man bid farewell to the healed officer:
‘Good bye and be always healthy!’ Saddened by the impending departure of his
benefactor, the officer asked him: ‘Are you leaving?’ ‘What else do you want?’
he said. ‘You are now completely well.’ The officer said back to him: ‘In the
name of God, who sent you? Tell me who you are.’ ‘Look at me carefully’ – the
unknown man said – ‘and see if you recognise what I am wearing.’ ‘Yes’ the
officer said, ‘Those are my own clothes.’ ‘Well, then,’ said the unknown man,
‘I am the same one whose body was tossed aside naked on the street and which
you – with succour and mercy – covered with your clothes. It is thus that God
sent me to cure you. For this you should always thank him.’
Having
finished his words, he climbed up again, through the attic window from which he
had come, and became invisible. From that time forward, the healed man never
ceased to thank God and to distribute alms to the poor.
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