One day, Chico Xavier was invited
to the anniversary of a Spiritist center.
He said he would go,
but he asked for discretion,
because he wanted a more intimate celebration,
to embrace those who shared the same ideals...
But everybody knows this:
the secret is told from one heart to another...
Then all the streets in town were closed,
the military police escorted Chico so that he could
get into that place.
When he sat before that huge group of people,
he said: "I know why this place is so full.
All of us here miss Jesus very much."
And all of us here
are missing Jesus terribly.
And for that reason
we have all come here,
to quench our spirit with the lights of love and wisdom
that have always come from the Master's heart,
supporting our evolutionary path.
Jesus is our Spiritual Governor.
In his hands are the reins of our destiny.
He has accompanied us from the first moments
of our spiritual evolution.
He knows each of us by our names.
He knows our anguish, afflictions, challenges,
and problems throughout many, many lives.
Because he knew our needs and deficiencies, one day
he decided to come to our modest learning environment,
to leave us a luminous path,
to chart the way back.
Because we all need to go back to God.
To harmonize our hearts with the Divine Laws.
That's the purpose of the higher spirits.
But how can we go back, if we don't know
the way?
How can we take the road back,
if we don't have the necessary evolutionary experience?
That's why, aware of our needs, he came to us.
The presence of Jesus in the planet
means the heart of the Creator himself
coming to meet us.
From the moment Jesus was among us,
a luminous bridge was built
between human beings
and the Creator himself.
Because it's by improving human creatures
that we're able to reflect the Divine better.
If we don't perfect our hearts,
how can we reflect God?
How can we demand the presence of the Creator,
if we don't offer him sincere and generous hearts?
How can we expect divine inspiration,
if we don't correct our thoughts?
There's hard work to be done.
Work to renovate our spirit.
Because none of us needs
to beg anything from the Divine Goodness.
We are sons and daughters,
heirs to the Divine Providence.
And if today we suffer,
it's because we are stubborn.
If we feel at the margin of divine mercy,
it's because we don't know how to harbor the Creator
deep inside our hearts.
A son does not need to beg,
but he must honor his father's name
And our evolutionary journey
has been a school:
correction of feelings,
correction of our thoughts,
so that Divine Providence may find us.
May find us.
We won't lose ourselves, none of us,
if we keep to our posts.
So...
the greatest challenge of the experience of being incarnate
is to understand, but not what we want out of life.
We all say prayers
with a series of demands and wishes.
And it's good it should be so,
it's good we have wishes.
Because nobody moves forward without a dream,
without an ideal.
But first we must ask: what does life expect from us?
What does God expect from each one of us?
And the answer is always silent,
because God doesn't speak in articulate words.
Emmanuel says that God speaks
through the circumstances of our lives.
In the smallest circumstances,
God's designs for us are present.
It's in everyday life,
day to day,
in the smallest facts of our lives,
that God asks us, sometimes, for patience,
in the form of a nervous fellow driver in traffic.
Sometimes, in a tiny frustration,
there's God's voice teaching us to have patience.
Because nothing useful can be accomplished
without the assistance of time.
And the lesson we have saved for today
is in the book "Boa Nova",
chapter 23,
psychographed by Chico Xavier
and dictated by spirit Humberto de Campos.
It talks about Zacchaeus.
And the title of the chapter is
"The Good Servant".
And if we could sum up this message
in one word,
we'd sum it up in "perseverance".
Perseverance...
Because the example of Zacchaeus, in the Gospel,
is an example of perseverance.
Zacchaeus
was a man of material possessions,
an administrator of the world.
And many times
in order to fulfill what God expects from us,
it's necessary to go against the expectations
of other human beings.
No one does the will of God
by pleasing men.
Many times
it's by crying in silence
that we meet the hopes
God places in each one of us.
Not always the person who sleeps by our side
is able to understand what God expects from us.
That's why the greatest commandment says:
"Love God above all things."
Above all things.
And Zacchaeus' life was not easy,
because Zacchaeus was born
with the hardest trial for an incarnate.
The hardest trial for an incarnate
is the trial of material possessions.
Why?
Because, as the Codifier tells us,
material possessions
function as gardens,
as orchards,
They have a marvelous role...
They're beautiful things,
but they may distract the incautious spirit.
We are on a journey.
On a journey...
Today I look at my 7-year old son
and I think: "How fast time went by!"
41 years...
A blink of an eye.
The human experience is like the blink of an eye.
We look behind
and it seems we've just left the maternity hospital...
And when people are endowed with material possessions,
they might turn away so often that they get lost.
They get lost.
That's why possessions are challenging.
On the other hand,
nothing in life is for free.
Everything comes at a price.
Beauty comes at a price,
material possessions are taxed,
so is the work in the good.
In the field of love,
there are taxes to be paid,
because life is merit.
And there is no victory
without personal effort.
God helps,
but doesn't do that which is our duty.
No Father should do that.
The day a father does his child's duty
he steals from his son the opportunity to grow.
For that reason,
Zacchaeus was a good servant.
He managed his possessions.
He was a tax collector for the Roman Empire,
although he had been born Jewish
and followed the Mosaic revelation,
followed the Law.
But because of circumstances of fate,
determinations from the Above,
he was placed in a position
of manager of earthly goods.
A challenging position.
A position that only tenacious,
disciplined souls
may be given.
And not always was he understood by his brothers.
Because when we look at people
who own material goods,
we imagine their lives are a bed of roses!
We imagine it all comes easy.
But the owner of the universe is God.
We are administrators.
Possessions are given to us
for a certain amount of time.
And there comes a time
when all administrators, before they discarnate,
must answer for everything they received.
And we don't take anything with us
but the essence of the experience.
Zacchaeus was then the administrator...
Thanks to his possessions,
to the administration of his goods,
many families dwelled
around his house.
How many fathers
supported their families
thanks to jobs offered by Zacchaeus?
How many people did he help,
administering the goods
that God had placed in his hands?
But since we, human beings,
many times involved in jealousy,
can only see the advantages,
never see the charges, the taxes,
nobody noticed the sacrifices Zacchaeus
had to make every day
to fulfill his duty properly.
And Humberto de Campos says
that Jesus had very frank and sincere words
in what regarded material riches.
The Master had come to teach
that the owner of the universe is God,
and that's why he condemned ill-used riches,
riches only used on their owners' behalf,
the so-called dead riches,
the kind that doesn't breed progress,
doesn't breed education,
doesn't breed enlightenment,
doesn't breed beauty
for the whole society.
Riches that are kept in the coffers of selfishness,
which function only as fireworks
to show off luxury and waste.
Against ill-used riches,
Jesus' words were always quite frank.
Jesus was always very sincere.
After all, he said himself
that his commitment was to the truth.
We all admire the truth,
until the moment when truth bothers us,
until the moment when it has to do with us.
But, says Humberto de Campos,
the apostles’ feelings were distorted.
They began to interpret Jesus’ words
in a radical way,
a fundamentalist way,
and that’s a big mistake.
Because Jesus had already warned them:
“The Kingdom of God is in your midst.”
Balance is always in the middle, never in extremes.
We should always use good sense and moderation,
lest we would act like fanatics.
And at that moment,
Philip in particular
had let his heart be dominated by fanaticism.
Philip began to demand
from people who came near Jesus
that they sold all their possessions.
All of their possessions.
He established as a criterion to be Jesus’ disciple
the complete destitution of riches.
And some thought that was odd.
The apostles then
became involved in daily arguments
about material possessions.
Levi pondered
that one should know how to give.
Passing on things was not always ideal.
With his good sense,
Levi explained that, first of all,
hearts should be educated in order to possess.
That’s true.
There are people who own
hundreds of properties in São Paulo
and they discarnate with free souls,
while others cling to a sofa.
Because it’s not about how much possess,
it’s about how we possess.
You can discarnate and cling to a dress,
or pants, family jewelry, or a watch…
While others, who have hundreds of properties,
discarnate, because they don’t cling to things.
They possess, but they’re not possessed.
It’s not about quantity, it’s about quality.
It’s about how we possess.
In truth, is it you who possess or are you possessed?
I remember a friend
who had a brand-new car, a 1978 model…
He spent 6 hours on weekends polishing it,
and the car was a beauty.
But the family couldn’t get in.
Because they’d get the car dirty.
So we say that the car owned him,
not that he owned the car.
It was the car that possessed his soul,
not the soul that used the car.
So Levi, even pondering these things,
was not heard.
It was then that, says Humberto de Campos,
Jesus saved the lesson for later.
In his wisdom, when the subject was serious,
Jesus avoided to use words.
Words are deceiving.
Many times you say one thing,
but people want to hear something else,
and the more you repeat,
that’s all they want to hear.
So our ear is selective,
it only hears what it wants to hear.
Jesus, understanding human nature,
left the lesson to exemplification.
Because before a soul that exemplifies,
there’s always silence all around.
Examples drag people.
It was in the last trip Jesus made to Jerusalem,
when he was headed
to the last days of his existence among us,
a few miles short of Jerusalem,
he stops by Jericho.
He goes by way of Jericho with a fixed purpose,
which none of the apostles was able to find out.
Jesus’ heart intended to seek Zacchaeus,
the tax collector, the publican,
the one who was badmouthed by all his brothers,
the one who was misunderstood even by his friends.
And that, however,
despite his difficulties and faults as a man…
Because, if you are on Earth,
just like Chico says...
“If you are incarnated, there’s something wrong.”
If there was nothing wrong,
you wouldn’t be incarnated… here.
There’s some issue.
Zacchaeus was a man, not an angel. A human being.
But he was a good servant.
He made mistakes, but he tried to do right.
He had good will,
he was committed to doing right.
Because perfectionists don't accomplish anything.
You only accomplish things if you are willing
to be humble enough to make mistakes.
Zacchaeus knew that.
He did his best, although he wasn’t understood.
Realizing that Jesus would pass by the center of Jericho,
realizing the crowd gathered
around the place where Jesus was coming by,
Zacchaeus gave an example
that was marked forever more in the Gospel.
The example of perseverance.
Nobody gets close to Jesus if they don’t persevere.
We must rise up a bit,
so that Jesus can come down a long way.
Because the Master is high up there.
Way too high.
He comes down a long way to come to us.
But we must rise up a bit.
Many of us…
How many times have I entered the spiritist center
not willing to elevate my vibration at all?
Wanting Jesus to take a dive
and come meet me.
But the more the Spiritist Doctrine
enlightens our hearts,
we realize that we have to do something.
We must, as we enter here,
leave everyday worries on the outside.
Elevate thoughts and feelings.
This short climb is our climb on the sycamore tree.
Zacchaeus climbed on a small tree.
That’s what he could do,
that’s what he was able to do,
it was the most at his reach,
but he did it. He did it!
Jesus never asked us for the most we could do .
When the apostles needed to feed the crowd,
he asked: “How much bread do you have?”
Because Divine Providence cannot multiply zero.
Zero times a thousand is zero.
But if we offer a little bit, a few crumbs,
Divine Providence multiplies them.
It multiplies the crumbs we offer.
Many times
our home is disrupted,
our marriage is disrupted,
our professional life is disrupted
because we're not giving Jesus
the crumbs that we can give,
so that he can multiply them.
The least we should do,
the climb that's due to us,
the effort which is our duty.
Our duty.
And sometimes it’s a tiny effort.
How many marriages and homes would be saved
if the couple studied the Gospel at home?
If they spared 15min with some fluidified water
to read an uplifting text,
making room
for the higher spirits
to enter their home.
How many of us cannot take the right decision,
because they don’t spare 1min in life for reflection?
Not 1min out of 24h so that Jesus can speak.
But Zacchaeus wasn’t like that, he climbed up.
He persevered.
He was short, he wasn’t a tall man,
but that was no excuse.
There is a text by Emmanuel entitled:
"The 'But' and the Disciples".
Many people only know how to say “but”.
“There’s a lot of work to do here,
but I am disabled."
“There’s a lot of work, but I’m too busy.”
“There’s a lot of work for mediums, but I’m afraid.”
While the true disciple says:
“I’m afraid, but there’s a lot of work.”
“I’m full of flaws, but the work field is huge.”
“I’m not perfect yet.” Sure!
If you were, you wouldn’t need the task,
because it’s the task that improves us.
The work in the good is the tool
Jesus uses to improve hearts.
Therefore, my friend, my sister,
if you are full of flaws, like me,
welcome, this is the place for you.
You came to the right place.
Like Zacchaeus. He only climbed up because he was short.
Now I ask: would he have climbed up if he were tall?
I’ve often asked myself that.
If I had certain advantages, would I be working?
If a few doors in my life had opened up,
would I be here today?
If God removed all the difficulties,
what would become of us?
Are we prepared for that?
Because, sometimes, difficulty is exactly
the teacher we need.
If you have children, you know that.
I remember once my son had the fever
and my wife turned to me and said:
“I can’t hold him while he gets the shot.”
It wasn't a vaccine, it was an injection.
“I won’t hold him.”
“I can’t stand it.”
And I thought I was strong: “I’ll hold him.”
Because men are strong, men can resist pain.
We know that. The men. Right?
Men are strong, tough.
Men can resist pain very well.
They get the flu, they face it, it doesn’t beat them.
Right? I said: “I’m strong, I’ll hold him!”
And I felt the greatest pain in my heart…
My son looked me in the eyes...
And I had to hold him, and he looked at me…
And he asked: “You’re my father,
how come you’re doing this to me?”
“Why are you doing this? I trust you!”
“You’re holding me to take this injection!”
At that moment,
10 seconds of my life,
I thought of God.
I thought of God watching a son suffer.
You’re going through bad times in life, wondering:
“Father, what’s going on?
Are you looking the other way?”
“Can’t you see me?” He sees you!
He sees you…
That’s why there’s a quote by Emmanuel,
in partnership with Doctor Bezerra, which goes:
“You ask God for the cure and he sends you the scalpel.”
Sometimes the cure is in the scalpel.
Sometimes, that which will cure us
is in the experiences we hate the most,
in difficulties…
So I ask:
if Zacchaeus wasn’t short, would he have climbed?
Wasn’t the limitation that pushed him?
Wasn’t it?
Many times it’s the limitations
that drive us.
I remember the story of an Indian,
a real Indian, from the north of Brazil,
who was interviewed by a talk-show host.
Her dream was to join the Army,
as a nurse, in the medical corps.
She left her tribe and went to Rio de Janeiro,
with such bravery...
On her first day in Rio,
she went to take a walk at 7am,
and a sex maniac, a rapist,
began to chase her.
So she ran and ran…
And he chased her. And she ran a lot,
until she managed to escaped him.
What did she do then?
What would I have done? Gone back to my tribe.
“What am I doing here?”
But what did she do?
She said she asked God:
"Oh God, what do you want from me?
I think you want me to run.”
So... she put on a pair of sneakers…
And every day, at 7am, she’d go running.
Until one day
she caught the eye of a sports scout
and she was sponsored by a famous club
in Rio de Janeiro, and became a runner.
And she won many medals.
And today her dream has come true.
She has joined the Army.
She passed an exam and got the position.
Running gave her means to study for that.
So I remember a quote
from an Italian priest:
“Vocation is born out of a provocation from God.”
When God wants to light up a gift in us,
He provokes us!
Because diamonds don’t shine if they’re not lapidated.
No jewel shines if it’s not lapidated.
There’s no perfect statue
which hasn’t faced the chisel,
which mutilated it, slashed it,
until it was shaped
into a beautiful work of art.
Just the same,
just the same,
most of us have parents and grandparents
and great-grandparents who had lives
10 times more difficult than ours!
For that reason, they’re wiser than us.
They’re much more focused than we are.
Much more emotionally balanced than us.
Because the excess of amenities
might paralyze the soul.
Zacchaeus was provoked!
He was born a short man.
Because he was born short, he learned how to climb.
He learned how to look up.
He climbed the sycamore, but what he didn’t expect
was that Jesus would stand before him and say:
“Zacchaeus, today I need to stay at your house.”
It’s symbolic.
Many of us walk through this door here,
expecting Bezerra to come to our house.
And he wants to go there!
He wants to be a guest there today.
But he’s waiting for us to climb the sycamore.
He’s waiting for us to climb up a bit.
He’s waiting maybe
for your to get home, open a book
and dedicate half an hour of your day
to a prayer and an uplifting text.
So that the higher spirits
can enter your home.
Jesus tells him:
“Today I must be a guest at your house.”
He comes in…
And filled with great joy...
With great joy,
he begins to confide in Jesus,
to tell him everything he did…
"Master, this family here counts on me.
These family men live out of this effort.
I plant vegetable gardens, I promote education…”
And he started to mention everything
he did with the goods
that Divine Providence
placed in his hands.
And as he told Jesus,
the Master would smile and say:
“Blessed are you, Zacchaeus!"
"Happy are you, my son!”
He says: “The servants at my house
have opportunities
that I seek to offer with my possessions."
And Jesus would tell him:
"We are all God’s servants, Zacchaeus.
It is so good you understand that.
It is so good you understand that."
Because when the rulers of the world
understand that they’re servants of On High,
riches will be used
in favor of the progress of their human brothers.
On that day, Earth will be paradise.
It will be paradise.
Because we won’t spend money on weapons,
on security, on alarms.
Because all our human brothers
will be educated for work
and for spiritual growth.
And possessions will be managed
wisely and with good sense,
creating riches and progress
for all of humanity.
But the apostles did not understand…
They looked at Jesus
talking to a publican
with prejudice in their eyes.
They wondered: “What was the Master doing
at a rich man’s house?
A publican?
A tax collector from the Roman Empire?”
And they all felt they had the right to judge…
So Zacchaeus excused himself
for a few minutes to speak to his servants.
He wanted to offer a meal
for everyone in the house.
The apostles approached Jesus
and told him of their anguish.
They were learners,
their hearts were full of doubts.
So Jesus told them:
"Friends! Do you believe, by any chance,
that the Gospel would have come to the world
to turn all men
into miserable beggars?”
Is it possible that the Gospel has come to the world
to turn humankind
into a humankind of panhandlers, of beggars?
“What’s the best kind of almsgiving?
The one that meets the needs of one day,
or the one that takes measures
for an entire life?”
What’s the greatest charity?
To give, to transfer some possession for a minute?
Or to give someone the opportunity
of honest and just work,
with which they can meet the needs
of their entire physical existence?
What’s the greatest charity?
And Jesus goes on:
“In the world, there are those who store up treasures
on earth and those who store up treasures in heaven.
The first ones hide their possibilities
in the coffers of ambition and selfishness,
and sometimes they toss a golden coin
to the hungry passerby,
seeking to get rid of his presence.
The last ones, those who store up treasures in the heavens,
connect their existences to numerous lives,
turning their servants
and laboring helpers
into an extended family…”
They’re the ones who use their possessions to console,
to give opportunities,
to make their neighbors grow…
"The last ones know how to employ
the sacred deposit from God
and they're His faithful stewards
on the face of the planet.”
Administrators.
Philip, then, did not understand.
He didn’t understand!
He even questioned Jesus…
"Jesus then asks, candid and lovingly:
'Philip, we must not lose ourselves
in compulsive feelings.”
When people are compulsive in their feelings,
they may hold on a permanent idea
for five incarnations.
Or more.
Because feelings command ideas.
So we must purify our feelings
in the waters of the Gospel.
When souls purify their hearts,
they begin to think in a luminous way!
Those who don’t love
hardly acquire wisdom.
That’s what Jesus was saying.
“Haven’t you ever heard of poor lands?"
Because we think of beggars,
but Jesus asks Philip:
“Have you ever heard of poor lands,
poor trees, helpless animals?
And above all,
in those pictures of nature
that Zacchaeus endeavors to care for,
don’t you see men, our brothers?”
Philip, aren’t you able to see our brothers?”
Because Zacchaeus sees a poor piece of land
and he transforms it into a garden.
Zacchaeus saw uncultivated ground
and turned it into an orchard.
He saw an abandoned tree
and turned that tree
into a beautiful tree, or a fruit tree.
“Which one is more miserable?
The beggar with no responsibilities
except that
of supporting himself,
or a father with many children
asking him for bread?"
Who is the neediest?
Both are needy.
Jesus’ questions is: “Who is the neediest?”
The beggar who only lives for himself,
whose only worry
is to earn enough for himself,
or the family man with his house full of children,
starving and asking him for bread?
That reminds us of Chico’s story.
Chico came into a certain place
and the people who were outside
were approached by a family man
with children.
And he said:
“Please, help me!
I have no food for my children."
And the Spiritists
told this father:
“What is that?
That’s absurd!
You should be working,
teaching your children to work!
You should be setting an example!
And you're making your children beg...
Go find some work!"
And they left that poor father...
When Chico got to them,
they said: "Why, Chico, how absurd!
You see that family man there?
He makes his children beg
and has the nerve to come here and beg!
But we taught him a lesson!
We taught him a lesson,
we gave him a Spiritist sermon."
And Chico said: "My children...
That father is a hero...
He's a hero!
That family was abandoned by the mother.
That man is a hero!
Men usually run away
and abandon their children,
because they're not strong enough...
But that man stayed home!
And he's there, doing what he can!
Grab everything, for God's sake, let's go to him!"
Then everybody got terrified,
checking what they had to give that father.
Because he was a hero...
A hero!
And it's in that sense
that Jesus told his apostles:
"Use possessions in life
to spread out peace, fraternity, love."
So...
Jesus tells the apostles:
"The world is truly needy."
The world is truly needy.
While there is one single person on Earth
shedding a tear,
the Gospel has not fulfilled its mission.
Because the mission of the Gospel
is to raise up the world,
starting from the hearts.
Because nobody builds on the outside
before they build on the inside.
No renovation is effective
if it doesn't start deep within.
For that reason,
first the Gospel transforms us,
and then we transform our surroundings.
First the Gospel brings
spiritual richness to our heart.
After our heart
is filled with love and wisdom,
those lights begin to shine
wherever we go.
Christ's task is to help the planet.
And all the disciples of Christ
who have understood this, like Bezerra,
who was invited to go to other places...
Dr. Bezerra didn't need to be here.
He deserves other places.
However, in the ceremony
in which he was invited
to go to happier worlds,
he said no.
"There are hearts that are dear to me still on Earth
and I ask you to let me stay
and help these hearts."
And until now he goes on with his work
of rescuing hearts.
Hearts.
And we say this
with absolute certainty
that we only suffer
from problems of the heart.
Nobody suffers because they couldn't solve
a 2nd degree equation.
Nobody comes to Perseverança saying:
"I'm anguished because I don't know Physics."
People get anguished, suicidal,
depressed
because of matters related to the heart.
It’s the heart that raises us up,
but it’s also the heart that puts us down.
The heart gets us into so much trouble...
For that reason, the work of the Gospel
is work carried out
on the inside of each spirit’s heart.
If your feelings are not harmonized with Christ’s teachings,
your spirit cannot be happy.
Because the Gospel is the Divine Law.
The Gospel is the moral code
which rules the infinite universe of our Father.
The Gospel is not a word for a day,
it’s Eternal Law.
Forgiveness, humility,
compassion, fraternity,
these are laws that are in effect
in the worlds of infinity!
And if we want to help the misfortunate,
we must help the hearts.
We must work on feelings.
Here is the magnificent lesson.
Not even the apostles were able
to understand Zacchaeus’ task.
Not even the apostles.
Jesus’ sincere exemplification was necessary
so that the apostles could understand
that God assigns tasks.
Your task is not necessarily the same as mine.
No task is better than the other,
but there are better workers.
It’s not about the quality of the task we are given,
it’s about the quality of our performance.
The quality of our performance.
Senator Publius Lentulus was assigned the task
of human power and politics;
however, it was his wife,
a housewife, a mother,
who rose up to higher spheres.
The senator stayed. The housewife went away.
And yesterday we recalled a friend
who read a text psychographed by Chico,
saying that "the great missionaries of the world
usually come in aprons or overalls."
They’re the anonymous servants.
We must understand that each one has a task
and each task has its difficulties
and its merits.
Zacchaeus had his task, Philip had his,
Levi had another, Simon had another...
What we have to do is to fulfill our task.
To embrace with love
that which Divine Providence brings
to our door.
To our door.
Because if our hearts are joined
to the higher spirits,
if we are able to hear the voice of God
within our hearts,
nobody will leave the world
not having fulfilled their task.
It’s about being in tune,
it's not about formal education.
We know the way,
we only need the will to follow it.
Respecting each one’s position and task.
And we need perseverance.
Perseverance...
Because only those who persevere fulfill the task.
The joy of fulfilling a task
can only be felt
by the souls who knew
how to keep their hands on the plow
until the very last moment.
Until the very last moment.
Many times, when our garden
is ready to offer us flowers,
we surrender to pessimism.
We surrender to despondency.
We start to allow
feelings of loneliness to invade our souls,
but there is no one alone in the world!
No one alone,
because we’re all surrounded by benefactors
and we’re all surrounded by people in need.
The matter of loneliness
is a matter of opening our eyes
and seeing the pain below our window.
And seeing the love that surrounds us,
coming from the spirits who love us,
and who vouched for us
so that we could be here today.
Zacchaeus was visited by the Master.
But many of us,
and I include myself in that group,
are only incarnated
because someone signed a blank check.
Andre Luiz only stayed at Nosso Lar
because his mother vouched for him.
So even if my words
are not strong enough to encourage you,
remember those hearts who vouched for you
so that you could be here today.
Think of them, at least.
Because it’ll be hard to go back to the spiritual realm
and look them in the eyes,
if we don’t live up
to their leap of faith
regarding each one of us.
There’s a spiritual expectation
for every heart in here.
We are here full of expectations
in relation to the spiritual realm,
but the spiritual realm is full of hope.
Full of hope.
They bring the water, the fertilizer,
but they have great hopes.
Hopes that the tree of our hearts
will give some fruit.
Some fruit.
That’s Zacchaeus’ message.
The man who was able to forget his limitations.
Nobody will be privileged in any way
for having limitations.
No use returning to the spiritual realm and saying:
"But I had no mother, no father,
I had no family..."
"I lost my husband or wife too soon..."
"This and that happened to me..."
It's no use making a list of your troubles.
We must learn how to count our blessings.
You may not have had a father, but aren’t you here?
So someone supported you.
You may not have had a mother, but aren’t you alive?
You may have faced troubles,
but aren’t you standing here?
So why don’t we learn to count our blessings?
Why don’t we make a list of everything we receive?
There’s a name for that,
it’s called gratitude.
That’s why Jesus told Zacchaeus:
"Zacchaeus, today salvation has entered your house."
Because when the Gospel enters a heart,
that heart learns to count flowers,
to count blessings, to count gifts.
And learns to make believe
that the difficulties are smaller than they are.
With the heart filled with gratitude,
we say goodbye to Perseverança.
Now, today. With the public promise
to come reap the blessings from this place.
May each one of you feel embraced
by our most tender affection.
Because I come here today
like the student who’s thrilled
and wants to share a kind of medicine.
I’m taking this medicine,
it’s working out,
it’s called the Gospel,
and I wanted to share it with you.
Thank you very much!
The first of the many times
you will be here with us.
I ask you then permission to...
Do you want to wrap up, sis?
You won’t give it to him?
Ah, yes... Is there time, dear,
to hear Formiga's message to you?
So let’s hear it.
“To speak of Jesus
in the style of prose and poetry,
a singular mind
was born plural, came as “Dias”.
A student of verbs,
of languages, etymology,
in the name he brought the metaphor,
as Haroldo Dutra Dias.
May it be a long one
the road through which you carry harmonies
in your words so clear
as sunny days.
A tireless pilgrim,
ever since those surroundings
where Christ walked on,
sowing allegories.
Carry on sowing your seeds,
like you did so long ago.
A wandering peasant...
Speak, Haroldo Dutra Dias!
Your voice echoes far,
where you wouldn’t even imagine,
taking Christ’s lessons,
carry on, Haroldo Dutra Dias!
May hope never fail you,
where mere euphoria
distorts teachings,
disturbing our days.
You are to bring comfort
where the nights are coldest...
Haroldo’s words warm us,
rays of sun on these days...
While you prepared yourself,
among books you discovered
how hard the path is,
how challenging your days would be.
Emmanuel accompanied you,
while you did not even know...
And once he told Chico:
"That is Haroldo Dutra Dias!"
To our Perseverança
I knew you would come!
To our people I introduce you:
“This is Haroldo Dutra Dias.”
From “humus” comes humility,
a virtue you would look for
in words and in gestures,
as Haroldo Dutra Dias...
Chico asks me: "Formiga,
write down in this poem
that seeing Haroldo and Guiomar
brought me so much joy!
May this be the beginning!
Poets are stubborn...
Perseverança is your home!
Come back, Haroldo Dutra Dias...
Following our Chico,
apostle of these days,
we thank the whole team
for Haroldo Dutra Dias.
I say goodbye to our friends
in my humble song...
Haroldo, my warmest wishes!
Speaking in verse here it’s Formiga..."
From your friend and servant Eurícledes Formiga.