THE MASTER AND THE NOVICE

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I read an inspiring story today and I want to share it with my fellow MyLotters. I hope you'll like it as much as I did. Wishing to encourage her young son’s progress in playing the piano, a mother took her boy to a piano concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and went to greet her. Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually found his way through a door marked “No Admittance.” When the lights dimmed to signal the start of the concert, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing. When the curtains parted, the mother saw her child onstage sitting by the piano, innocently plinking out, “Twinkle, twinkle, little star...” At that moment, the great piano master went onstage, quickly approached the kid and whispered to him, “Don’t stop, keep on playing.” Then leaning over, the master reached down with his left hand and began filling in the bass part. Soon, his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and added a running obligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. As with the little boy in the story, the Master will be there to encourage us. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy, but with the hand of the Master, our life’s work can be beautiful. So, listen carefully and hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, telling you, “Don’t stop, keep on playing.” His strong arms will help you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces. It is God who calls. While God doesn’t always call the well-equipped, He always equips well those whom He calls. ( Fr. Joel O. Jason )