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Short Stories (Stories for the Youth), book by Father Tadros Yacoub Malaty

237- My Great Achievements in One Line

 

St-Takla.org Image: Fr. Bishoy Kamel during the prayers of the Holy Liturgy, lifting up his hands. صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: القمص بيشوي كامل أثناء صلاة أحد القداسات، وهو يرفع يديه لأعلى

Father Pishoy Kamel’s favourite saying used to be:

 “I + Christ = a life that defies death.”

Truly enough, even after Father Pishoy’s departure from this world, his good memories remain and his deeds shine year after year maybe more than during his lifetime. This contrasts sharply with many others, whose memories, and even whose very names, are forgotten shortly after they pass away.

This brings to mind an anecdote that is said of Napoleon Bonaparte, who having dazzled the world with his military skills as well as with civilian achievements, had numerous admirers and flatterers who wrote about him countless works of praise. He had so little time to read what was written about him that once he turned to his entourage and remarked, “What I do now may fill thousands of volumes in this generation. In the next generation, maybe one volume will suffice to record my works. In the third generation, one paragraph will probably be enough for that. By the fourth generation, only one line will be needed.”

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: أعمالي المجيدة في سطرٍ واحدٍ!

All external earthly glory will wither away and fall with time,

But the internal or heavenly glory will defy death.

It will shine and flourish with the passage of time,

And increase with each generation,

Until it blends with the everlasting glory.

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