Anecdotes of Father Santan Pinto, SOLT

DUST ON THE FLEA’S BACK

At the bottom of the Ocean, there was a lump of clay. It was so lonely. No one noticed it. It was sticky and ugly. Not even the smallest fish took notice of it. But one day, a hand from above picked it up and placed it on a rock. The Sun shone brightly and soon this lump turned into dust. The gentle wind came and blue it for miles. It seemed it did not know where it was going. But then it rested on the back of the flea.

How often "dusty" would look back and try to find out who it was. It asked this question one-day to a housekeeper. It was a warm tiring day for Mrs. Smith. Dusting the entire house was her task. She took pride in keeping her domain clean. She trusted no one with this important work in her life. All had left the house and Mrs. Smith was enjoying her cup of tea, when she heard this question. Out came her weapons to wipe this dust. But the more she tried the more she got frustrated. In an angry voice, she said, "Dust belongs outside. I have no use of you here, so get out." With that she opened the door and the crosswinds took dusty flying out into the open.

Who would ever understand the anguish that dusty faced. Not knowing who it was, it considered another option. Maybe if I went to the earth, she could tell me where I came from. So she went to the earth to ask her question. Dusty looked everywhere and saw how everyone was happy being what they were.

The trees swaying in the wind, there were so many living things everywhere. All knew who they were. They seemed to be going in some direction. Then dusty saw many dust flying around carried by the strong wind. It joined these travelers, hoping that someone would guide it to find out who it was. But they all seemed confused. They were helpless for they were traveling aimlessly all their lives. None knew from where they came. Nor did they know where they were going to.

Days passed by and the wind died. There was calm and dusty rested near an anthill. Dusty thought to itself, "Maybe I should go and ask the ants, they seem to be intelligent and hard working." So Dusty made his way - slowly to the anthill. It did not want to shock or frighten the ants. But the ants wouldn't even notice Dusty. They were busy doing some thing. Dusty tried to attract attention by twisting and turning but all the ants did was to ignore. But there was a baby ant who was curious. Babyant said to her mother, "Mom, do you see that little patch of dust." Mom replied, "Yes, what is it?" "Well," continued Babyant, "it moved and is trying to say some thing to you." "Now that sounds simply ridiculous! Who ever heard that dust ever had something to say. "Just then Dusty spoke, "May I introduce myself?" "See," said Babyant, "I was right." Turning to Dusty, she asked, "What is your name? I am Babyant." The reply came in a tender voice, "I am Dusty." The mother ant asked, "Is there some thing that I can do for you. Hurry with your problem, you see we have work to do. Not like you, you just float around here and there. You have nothing to do and none to care for. I have ten mouths to feed and there is always competition everywhere."

Taking a deep breath Dusty inquired, "Just tell me who am I?" The ant looked Dusty once then a second time. She paused, scratched her head and sneered, "You are a handful of dust, that's who you are, and nothing else. Goodbye!" And with that she disappeared into her home.

Dusty was shocked. He thought to himself, "If I am just a handful of dust, then who could my parents be?" An earthworm passed by and looked Dusty over. For a while Dusty thought that at last someone would be his friend. Someone to talk to. But the worm found nothing interesting in Dusty and began to leave him. Just then Dusty, regaining himself, introduced himself, "Hi, I am Dusty. And who are you." "They call be Longone," came the reply. Longone looked once again at Dusty and said, "If I was hungry I would be eating you, because that's what we do with dust like you." Dusty asked Longone, "Do you know by chance who my parents could be, now that I know that I am handful of dust?" "Well, well, you could go and talk to an old man who sits by the oak tree," came the suggestion. Dusty asked, "Is there a way for me to travel that far?"

Out from a nearby bush popped a little head. "I could role in you and then you would be on my back. Then I could hitch a ride on any bird and soon we could reach your destination," came on offer of help from the dark. Dusty asked, "Who are you and why do you hide in the dark?" "Because I am tired, have overeaten and feel like lazing around. But since you asked I shall tell you who I am. I am called a flea and everybody hates me. I seem to make everyone I visit suffer. And how happy they are when they get rid of me. You should have seen the last cat I visited, she was so angry that she even jumped into the water to get rid of me. That's when I left her and hid myself." Mr. Flea continued, "So what's your answer, do you want to travel or not?"

Dusty replied, "Certainly Sir, please will you help me. I will be forever grateful for your act of kindness. With you I will have wings to fly with and go places and see things. I hope I will never slow you down? With that Mr. Flea jumped on Dusty, rolled a couple of times and once Dusty was safely on his back, took flight. Mr. Flea knew the wind currents and soon they were soaring high and landed on a high branch of the oak tree. There were many birds that would visit this tree, but Mr. Flea kept quiet and made no move. Then all of sudden a huge bird perched on the topmost branch. Mr. Flea jumped and was ready for action. He whispered to Dusty, "This is Sir Baldy, he flied very high and he goes places where we would never dare to go." Soon the two friends were in the features of Baldy.

Dusty and his buddy the Flea traveled miles that day. There was nothing they could see when Baldy took to the heights. Whenever Badly landed on a cliff or dove to catch his meal, Mr. Flea would venture to open his eyes. He related to Dusty what he saw but they did not find the old man. But this was fun. "When nothing seems to happen, at least if one just keeps moving something will," thought Dusty to himself. After all he was no hurry and so was his buddy.

During the days that followed, Dusty met different insects, animals, plants, birds and children. What was hard to swallow was his pride. Nobody cared for him. Nobody ever noticed him. Everyone was so busy doing their little things, that they seemed to be always in a hurry. Dusty wondered where they were going and what was going on in their lives. He observed all the creatures and saw each of them working hard. Then there were those who attacked each other for food. He saw selfishness in some and fears in others. There were those who hunted and those that were hunted. And Dusty looked around and saw that there was so much. Yet all of them struggled. And after all the pain, nobody seemed to be the happier.

There were some in creation, that Dusty would soon admire, love and seek their friendship. These were those who lived beyond just seeking food and satisfying their desires to exist. These were those who wanted to climb the heights, to go where no one dared to go. They were free spirits who were not tied down with anything. They laughed and enjoyed adventure. They were fun to be around. "Why don't these try and find food for themselves? How come they survive with so little that they pick from here and there?" asked Dusty to himself. Were these also trying to find out who they were? Maybe one of them would give him some clues to help him on his own search. Dusty said to Mr. Flea, "Would you please take me to these free spirits that have so much of fun. I want to learn to laugh once again. Maybe one of them will tell us where the old man is." Mr. Flea hesitated for a moment. But agreed, for he saw the determination in Dusty's eyes. This was the first time Mr. Flea saw Dusty as if on a mission.

Joining the "happy gang", a name Dusty gave these new friends, meant doing a lot of silly things. Dusty tried to figure this kind of madness. Why would the rest of creation, especially man, ignore this way of sharing? They were so different. None was afraid of the other. They shared the little they found. They were always active, funny and happy.

One night Dusty dreamt about his childhood. There were times when his father would take him to the sea. The waves seemed so big, yet his father feared nothing. His confidence assured Dusty. And then the sudden death of dad, left a vacuum in Dusty's life. He found himself alone, afraid and lost. Was there someone who would ever fill this emptiness. Dusty in his loneliness often cried. He talked to God many times and could not find any answer. He searched for a God who cared for him. He visited many temples, mosques, holy places, and talked to the various gods there. But nobody answered. Then he returned to his Church, there he ventured to talk to the Great One. And from the throne came a voice, "I care." Dusty was terrified. He thought to himself, "What have I done wrong that the Great One, God Himself would wish to talk to little me!" The voice continued, "Be not afraid, I am your Father who created you out of dust. I breathed my spirit into you and made you my son. I want you to remember that I am with you always. So fear nothing. I will lead you and guide you."

As a little boy Dusty lived in a world of his own. He dreamt of being an eagle, who could fly to lofty mountaintops. His spirit soared to the clouds above. His imagination would create a pathway to the beyond. There he would be lost for hours, searching for some thing that he didn't have a clue about. He went to school and tried hard to be just like the others. The world around seemed so different. Certainly some thing was missing.

Dusty used to go for long walks. He went where his heart led him. Often he visited the various cemeteries. There was always a sense of peace and quiet in this city of the dead. Nobody talked, everyone listened. Dusty would read the name of the person who was buried and address that person as if that person was there. He would open his heart to them, sharing with them his desires. Dusty recalled a dream during which he was passing through a graveyard. From the graves hands came out, as if asking for prayers. Dusty assured each of them of his prayer. Now that Dusty visited the graveyard he remembered his promise to these spirits. He would often gather candles and light them. He would go and erect those crosses that had fallen. This was his little way of saying that he cared for them.

Dusty's Mother once told him about an incident that happened when he was a little baby. She said, "You were so hungry and I ran out of milk. So I bought a milk can and hurriedly made some milk for you. The can was rusty. You soon became sick. We rushed you to the doctor. The doctor asked a few questions. I then realized that you had tin poison. The doctor said that there was nothing he could do for me. I would die soon. It was then that I carried you to the nearby chapel and placed you on the altar. I consecrated you to the Lord and made a promise that from that day onwards you belonged to God. And that if you ever chose to become a priest, I would never refuse you. As soon as I made this offering, you began to cry. You were hungry. You recovered quickly and from that day I treasured this gift in my heart. Today, after you are ordained to the priesthood, I wanted to share this with you. I didn't want to tell you this before. I never wanted to influence you in any way. In my heart I never wanted to give you up. You chose this vocation. It was only later on I understood how it all came about. When I placed you on the altar, God sowed the seed of your calling in your heart.”

A loud yell from a baby bear woke Dusty from his dream. He jumped up, rubbed his eyes and looked around. The baby bear introduced himself, “I am Bozo. That’s the name my family called me, because I am kind of dumb. I love to play, make friends, and share what I have with others. I feel drawn to treat all of creation with the same respect I want them to have for me. I will tell you a little incident in my life. I just completed my second birthday. All my friends were invited to a birthday party. My parents, friends and neighbors gave me many gifts. I gave each gift to each of my friend and said to them, ‘We shall all open these gifts together. Then from now on, we shall make an agreement. These gifts belong to all because we are buddies.’ Everyone laughed at me. They thought it was a joke and brought all the presents to me. I was ordered by father to open these gifts myself. My mother just gave me the eye. That look said everything. I obeyed, but in my heart I felt a deep sadness. Do you understand what I am saying?” “Yes,” replied Dusty.

Reassured, Bozo excitedly continued, “There is another little incident that got everyone laughing at me. My dad asked me to go and find honey for the family. I went in search of honey. I heard the bees going about their usual business. I often saw dad just climb the tree and pull out the honeycomb. This made the bees angry but dad never paid any attention to their feelings. However, this time when I approached the tree the bees began to make a kind of warning noise. I stopped and waited. Then I said in a gentle voice, “Excuse me my bee-friends. Will someone talk to me? I have a favor to ask.” One of the bees ventured to come down and sat on the branch nearby and said in a soft voice. “Yes, what is it that you want? I have been sent by the queen to listen to your request.” I said hurriedly, “My dad asked me to fetch some honey for the family. I don’t want to climb the tree. I am afraid to do this. I don’t want to hurt anyone. The last thing I want to do is to rob your honey. You guys have worked hard for this. I come as a friend. From the kindness of your heart, would you and the others share some honey with me?” The bee took off and reported the matter to the queen and other bees. The bees then proceeded to go to a nearby tree. They brought me a large honeycomb with honey in it. I thanked the bees for their kindness and went home. My dad wondered how it was that I had no bee stings on my nose. I told them the entire story. But do you think anyone at home believed me? No. They just laughed at me. My dad was angry and in his temper, he threw me out of the house. I am lost, rejected and lonely.”

Dusty hugged Bozo and said in a gentle whisper, “You don’t have to ever feel lonely or lost. I will take you to my family. Here we are all friends. No one rejects anyone. You know why? Because we all have been rejected by others and know how painful it is. Come I will take you and introduce you to my family, I call them, “the happy gang.”

“The happy gang” consisted of animals, insects and birds. Mr. Flea is the one who made everyone scratch. His family rejected him, for he chose to travel, spend time talking to other animals and help strangers like Dusty. Baldy, the eagle was orphaned when young. A forester raised him up and then left him. He could not understand why everyone would be afraid of an eagle. He was always trying to help those who were lost. He felt lonely till he met Mr. Flea. From then onwards, he belonged to a family. Shiny, was a frog! He was born with a smile and a sharing nature. He would share everything he had. What made him stand out among all the frogs, was the fact that he was friendly with all of creation. He wasn’t afraid at all. Everyone loved him, even the snakes. For Shiny often would come to the rescue of the baby snakes and the little creatures. Then there was Slimy, a long lizard who was hated by his family because he chose to befriend his enemies. Slimy loved to dance and came across a bunny Rabbit whom he named Bouncy. Now among the lizards this was reason to become an outcast. No lizard was allowed to befriend a Rabbit. “Lizards were supposed to hide and pounce on innocent prey,” Slimy recalled his Mother saying to him often. Bouncy loved to bounce all day. He was a friend of the farmer who lived in a field nearby. Bouncy would go to the farmer’s house and ask for food. He did not believe in robbing and destroying the hard work of the farmer. When the farmer would see Bouncy, he too would jump and dance with him. Now, the new addition to the family was Bozo. He was a bear who asked bees to give him honey. He allowed Mr. Flea to sleep in his cozy fur and Bouncy to bounce all over him. He became an instant friend of all.

All members lived in the desert, caves, tall trees or places where nobody would visit. Distance did not separate this family. They met everyday. Some times it would be for a short visit. Often it was long. These friends seemed to live in a time of their own. News was circulated and new adventures shared. All too their turn to announce upcoming events. The needs of the family were brought up for consideration and action. Someone would tell a joke, and another would follow. The gang laughed and laughed.

Dusty got their attention by clapping. He waited. The gang became silent. Dusty then introduced his new friend Bozo to the family. Each looked at Bozo and saw the tears roll from his eyes. These were tears of joy and sadness. Joy, because he had found a great family. Sorrow, because the pain of rejection still ached in his heart. But soon Bozo learnt to forget himself. He was part of this family. The least he could do was to welcome the love he had. Each member gave Bozo a hug, a squeeze, a whistle, a peck and so on. All members expressed their welcome to Bozo in their own way. Bozo cried with joy at such love that he never received before. He was overjoyed and he joined the family as they danced with joy. “We are family, born to love each other. Among us there is no one great or small, beautiful or ugly. We judge no one by what they can do or cannot but by whom they are. We are all children of the living God!”

That evening during the meeting, Baldy the eagle and Mr. Flea asked Dusty to share the story of how he was taught to consider all as brothers and sisters. Dusty began in a soft voice and the rest listened to him attentively. “This happened when I was a little boy. I was swinging from one bell to another, tolling bells. I was having fun. There were some monkeys who joined me in this. They appeared to be like little demons. As we were having fun, suddenly a light appeared at the bottom of the tower. And the voice sounded, “Santan Jesus wants you.” Now that is the name my parents gave me when I was baptized. I hurried down the rope on which I was swinging. Before me stood a strong, brightly dressed angel. He appeared to me like a giant. I said nothing but just followed the angel. The path the angel took was through the graveyard section by section. Graves began to open in front of me. From these graves hands came out asking for help. I assured everyone, as I touched them saying, “I will pray for you, do not worry.”

Dusty continued, “Then after visiting the entire cemetery, the angel led me to Jesus. Jesus was seated on the steps, outside the Church. With him were children of different nationalities and color. He had gathered all the rejected in the world. These were the little ones that the world had discarded. But these were the friends of Jesus. Jesus looked at me. That look invited me to his heart, where I would always find a home. Then I knew my call and mission - that nobody should ever feel rejected, lonely or a stranger.”

Bozo was crying. Dusty reached out and dried his eyes. The others brought food out and all shared the little they had. But all shared everything with much love and concern. It was soon night and dusty showed Bozo a nice, warm cave. Within minutes, Bozo was snoring and the family laughed and soon all went to sleep.

Then came the great day when the Lord of heaven and earth invited all of creation. The word was sent around. Everyone hurried towards a great light. The animals whispered, “That light comes from the throne of the great King”. Just then the Devil seeing all of creation heading for the gate of heaven, stirred the wind and the ocean. A great storm began to slow down everyone. Trees were uprooted and the wind brought in much rain.

After hours or travelling all of creation arrived at the gate. To their amazement the gate was closed. Dusty and his friends came up to the door and knocked. There was no answer. All this time Dusty was hid with Mr. Flea in Bozo’s fur. He came out and checked around. With the help of Baldy he could fly and see all of creation gathered. They all cried out in one voice, “Please somebody open the door?” Just then a gentle wind blew dusty off Mr. Flea’s back and through the crack in the door Dusty found himself inside the gates of heaven. A large hand that had picked him from the bottom of the ocean now picked him again. “Welcome home my child”, said the gentle voice of God. “Oh Father, it is nice to be home. But there is one more thing…” with that he hesitated. “What is it my son?” asked God. “Please could you open the door, my family is waiting outside”. The Lord God then opened the door and let in all of creation. Then the rejoicing began!

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