"Take care of your soul and stand firmly on the spiritual guard, because you do not know when the Lord will call you to Himself", says St. John of Shanghai.
In your earthly life, be ready at all times to submit to God. Take care of your soul and examine your conscience daily; examine the purity of your thoughts, your intentions, said St. John of Shanghai and taught with the following story:
There was a king who had a corrupt son. With no hope of changing for the better, the father sentenced his son to death. He gave him a month to prepare. A month passed and the father called his son. To his surprise, he saw that the young man had changed noticeably: his face was thin and dry, and his whole body looked as if he had been subjected to suffering.
“How did such a change happen to you, my son?” The father asked.
“My father and master,” replied the son, “how could I not change, when every day that passed brought me closer to death?”
“All right, my son,” remarked the king, “since you have obviously become sensible, I will forgive you. However, you have to maintain that awake state of mind for the rest of your life. ”
“Father,” replied the son, “it is impossible. How will I resist countless seductions and temptations? ”
Then the king commanded to bring a vessel full of oil, and said to his son:
“Take this vessel and carry it through the streets of the city. You will be accompanied by two soldiers with sharp swords. If you spill even a drop of oil, they will cut off your head. “
When they returned to the castle, the king asked, “My son, what did you see as you walked through the city?”
“Nothing,” replied the son.
“What do you mean ‘Nothing’?”, The king asked, “today is a holiday, you must have seen stalls with all kinds of trivia, a lot of carriages, people, animals…”
“I didn’t see any of that,” said the son. “All my attention was focused on the oil in the vessel. I was afraid to spill even a drop and lose my life. “
“Exactly, my son,” said the king. “Keep this lesson in mind for the rest of your life. Be vigilant over your soul, as you were over oil in the vessel today. Turn your thoughts away from what will soon pass and watch them on what is eternal. You will not be accompanied by armed soldiers, but by death, to which we are closer every day. Be very careful in protecting the soul from all pernicious temptations. “
The son obeyed his father and lived happily.
