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Apr 01, 2017 1964 Chevalier Benny Punnathara
Evangelize

Use Your Time Fruitfully

William Sydney Porter was a bank teller at the First National Bank in Austin, Texas. The bank had a provision for its business customers that allowed them to count and take the money they needed on their own, at the counter, provided they sign off in the register with their name and amount withdrawn. It was Porter’s job to oversee this.

Once when the bank officials did a random check on this, they found a deficit of three thousand dollars. Porter had absolutely no clue how this could have happened; however, the bank went ahead and filed a case of bank theft against him. Having been falsely accused of this crime, arrested and jailed, Porter was at first devastated and extremely depressed. Gradually, as days passed, Porter felt more at ease and spent the free time he got in jail very fruitfully—he began writing. As his stories started getting published, Porter strived to write more. Finally, when his jail time was done and he was a free man, he became a renowned writer with the pen name of O. Henry. The O. Henry short stories became the carrier of the sweet-smelling aroma of human goodness and have touched the hearts of many.

We may also undergo situations in our lives where we are faced with tragedy, pain and injustice. It is of no use wasting our lives thinking about our sufferings and being sad and heavy-laden about them. During any circumstance, we should strive to make our lives meaningful and beneficial.

Another great example is that of Saint Paul the Apostle—it was because he was held captive in prison that we received many of the letters in the New Testament. During his imprisonment—be it the thoughts of the death sentence that awaited him or thoughts of his captors—nothing bothered Saint Paul. Instead, he concentrated on completing his long letters for the spiritual growth and strengthening of the people of the Church.

In the same way, whether situations are favorable or not, our lives must be fruitful. Even if our body is weary, our mind must be working. We must fill our surroundings with good thoughts. We must spread blessings to the world with prayers. Our years of life are valuable. We should not waste them being sad, disappointed and anxious. We can always do things that are useful and beneficial. Some of our dreams may have been shattered, but we can weave new ones. The life of O. Henry teaches us that losses can turn into gains.

“For everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.’ Watch carefully then how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord” (Ephesians 5:14-17).

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I am deeply saddened by the times I wasted. I remember now the hours I wasted taking part in unnecessary gossip, the hours I wasted twisting and turning in my bed, or flipping through TV channels, or surfing the Internet. Had I used that valuable time for study and prayer and hard work, my life today would have turned out so much better. My Lord, please teach me to fruitfully live the rest of my life. Free my mind of anxieties and sluggishness, O Lord Almighty. Amen.

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Chevalier Benny Punnathara

Chevalier Benny Punnathara has authored many books on the faith life which have been translated into several languages. In 2012, then Pope Benedict XVI awarded the title of ‘Chevalier’ to Punnathara for his outstanding contributions to the Catholic Church and society. In addition to being the founder of Shalom ministries, Punnathara serves as the Chairman of Shalom Media. He and his wife, Stella, an author and speaker, live in India along with their two children.

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