23) Baptised with Charity

The retired abbot of a regional, still active monastery enjoyed his well deserved vacation on a sunny park bench. An elderly lady joined him, making a well-groomed impression on him. After a while he asked the lady if she believed in god. Puzzled, she wanted to know the reason for the question. The abbot answered with a smile; „One must have a very good relationship with the Lord God to be endowed with so much beauty“. The conversation took its course and the abbot told of his monastery and the efforts it had cost to make it worth seeing. Even the baptismal font of the church was renewed. Now only a special stone figure was needed to complete the baptismal font. Smiling, the interested listener mentioned that she could possibly help, since she was artistically active in this direction. That would hardly be possible, replied the abbot, because the financial resources of his monastery would not exceed half of the expected price of the work of art. Thus, the unobtrusive cleric wanted to end the subject. But not the elderly lady. She had taken pleasure in the conversation and her heart opened spontaneously. They agreed on a friendship price and the order was agreed „bank-conform“ on that park bench.

Meanwhile, the work is completed and decorates the baptismal font with the words: „AN ACT OF CHARITY“