I Am the Least of These

I looked up from my humble mahogany desk and glanced in justifiable impatience at the spindly young man in front of me.

“What do you want? I am very busy copying the Holy Scriptures.”

He rubbed one disgustingly thin hand across his slick forehead with a weakling’s nervous move. I suppose some lesser people would be sorry for him but I knew his type. If someone was that thin and unhealthy they were obviously lazy, not working hard enough or spending too much on the sinful luxuries of this world. I myself was very careful to avoid all of these evils.

I raised my gold rimmed spectacles up on perfectly shaved dome and adjusted my large purse so it wasn’t weighing so heavily on my stomach.

“I-I w-wondered sir---“

“Father!” I rebuked the infidel sharply. Men like him had an irreverent habit of forgetting their place.

“Forgive me--F-father. I w-wondered if p-perhaps you c-could let me do some w- work around here for f-food? I-I have a hungry f-family waiting for me outside and n-no one will give me any w-work.”

I laid down my gold tipped quill pen sternly and turned my conscience probing gaze full on the abominable young man.

“How dare you lie to a man of God! Remember what happened to Ananias when he lied to St. Peter!”

“Forgive me F-Father. I d-did not mean to l-lie.”

My righteous furry began mount.

“How dare you lie to me again! I could call down heavenly fire on your sinful head!”

The man’s forehead, I saw with holy pleasure, began to flow with little rivers. Perhaps I was reaching the wretch’s conscience.

“You lied to me when you told me you could find no work.”

His eyes widened at my God given perception.

“A man can always find work if he is not too proud to accept a menial task. Those menial tasks are those which would make you holier if you were not too full of sinful pride.”

“I w-would accept anything F- Father.” I saw his hands clinch to drown out his dying conscience as he told me that filthy lie.

“You lie again!” all my being detested this brazen infidel. His soul would certainly burn forever in purgatory! “Out! I will have no liars in this holy house.”

The newest brother, who had been patiently waiting outside the door to speak with me, strode into my room without the proper reverence to one of God’s holy men and slamming his fists in wicked anger on my marble desk top he burst out most sinfully,

“And you say you are a man of God! How dare you lie, how dare you turn away his suffering children with only harsh words! I thought I would be serving God by taking orders but now that I see what you are I know I cannot serve God under such a wicked man.”

“Blasphemer! Stop!” I backed away from him and covered my ears so I wouldn’t have them profaned.

He leapt furiously at me and forced my hands away in a most shocking temper.

“It is you who have blasphemed! I am amazed God has not struck you down in his holy anger. It is you who should stop before you find yourself miserably in hell just like that man said. I can serve God better elsewhere!”

Tearing off his cowl with a most unholy quickness he hurled it at my highly revered head and taking the wicked young man by the arm lead him out slamming my monastery door with a horrifying bang.

Looking with God filled horror out my large gilded window I could see him helping the spindly man and an even more sinful looking woman across the street to a plush inn. How dare he say those things to me, God’s holy man!

Suddenly a spasm of pain ran down my spine and it began increasing until my body was filled with it. I dropped to the floor and writhed crying out to God to take it away. A bright light suddenly filled my room and a voice too powerful for my ears to take said,

‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’

~

A young man with a shaved head sat in a small pub eating breakfast the next morning when something on the front page of the morning paper beside him caught his eye. He quickly put down his steaming coffee and opened the paper. The article that got his interest just might be interesting to you too so I have copied it down word for word. Here it is:

Priest Dies Mysteriously

On Friday morning the Reverend Father, Egbert Wormdrag, was found by one of his servants dead on the floor of his spacious office. His features were contorted into a stomach turning look of horror and pain. A half written passage of scripture lay on his desk and a cowl, identified as a new brother’s who was heard to take an angry leave of the monastery that morning, was found on the floor beside him. The cause of death is not found but fowl play is not likely.