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TheMagnanimousHeartofLanello–AesopSundayServiceChildren’sStory

Time:Tenminutesdependingonstorytellerdeliveryandchildren’sresponses.

Goodmorningandwelcome.Wealsowelcomeallthechildrenand

familiesonthebroadcast.Todaywecelebratetheascensionofour

belovedLanello.

MarkL.ProphetwasbornonDecember24,1918andmadehis

ascensionin1973fromColoradoSprings,CO.Hewasananointed

messengeroftheGreatWhiteBrotherhood.HefoundedTheSummit

Lighthousein1958underthedirectionoftheAscendedMasterEl

Morya.Heandhistwinflame,ourbelovedGuruMa,gaveusthe

wonderfulteachingsoftheascendedmastersandtaughtusaboutourI

AMPresence,ChristSelfandthreefoldinourheart.Theygaveus

teachingsonhowwecanbecomeascendedmasters,too.

TohonorLanellotoday,wearegoingtohearaboutoneofhis

embodiments,Aesop.Areyoufamiliarwiththatname?(Pause.)Yes,

heisthecreatorofthewonderfulfablesweenjoysomuch.

GuruMatoldusthatifwewanttoputonLanello’smastery,we

mustlearnabouthispreviousincarnations.Shesaidthattoknowjust

aboutthefactsisnotenough.Totrulyunderstandtheessenceofa

virtueoranattainmentortheheartfireofanascendedmaster,wemust

gobacktothepointwherethevirtuewasforgedandwon,wherethe

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souldemonstratedcourage,fearlessness,whereaparticulargiftfrom

God,uniqueinthatlifetime,wasoutplayedtoitsfullest.

Aswelistentoourstorytoday,seeifyoucanrecognizethe

virtuesandattainmentthatAesophad.

Let’slistentoourstorynow.

Aesop

Accordingtolegend,Aesopwasbornmute,meaninghewasn’t

abletospeak.Hewassmallinsizeandhisbodyunpleasanttolookat.

HewasaGreekslave,andalthoughhismasterandothersfirstsawhim

asafool,theydiscoveredthathehadwisdomfargreaterthantheirs.It

wasthisexpressionoftheChristmindthateventuallywonAesophis

freedom.Wecanseethiswisdominhisfablesaswellasinstories

abouthislife.

Asonestorygoes,someofAesop’sfellowslavesdecidedtoplaya

trickonhim.“Let’seatsomeofourmaster’sfigsandthenblameiton

Aesop,”saidone.

“Yes,hewillnotbeabletodefendhimselfashecannotspeakand

heisslowinthinking,”repliedanother.

So,thetwoslavestooksomeofthemaster’sfigs.Whenthe

masterdiscoveredthis,heroared,“Whoatemyfigs?”

Theslavesresponded,“Sir,itwasAesopwhostoleyourfigsand

atethem.”

However,Aesop,althoughhecouldnotspeak,managedtofinda

waytoprovehisinnocence.Withgestures,heindicatedthathewanted

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abasinofwarmwaterbroughttohim.Hethendrankitandcoughedup

allthatwasinhisstomach,showingthathehadnoteatenyetthatday.

Thenhemotionedtothetwoslavestodothesame,thusexposing

theirunkindtrick.Yousee,thetwothievesthoughttheycouldtrick

Aesop.Theyjudgedhimbyhisouterappearanceandnotbyhisinner

attainmentbecausetheywerelimitedintheirownheartdevelopment.

Afterthisincident,Aesopreturnedtoworkinthefieldsatwhich

pointtwomenapproachedhim.“DearSir,wearelostandtiredand

hungry.Canyouhelpus?”

Aesopwashappytohelpandledthemtotheshadeofatreeand

broughtthemsomemeat,fruitandwater.Hebadethemtorestand

thensetthemonthecorrectpath.“Thankyouforyourkindness,”they

saidastheycontinuedontheirjourney,restedandwellfed.

Laterthatdayafterworkingmanyhoursinthehotsun,Aesop

tookanapandfellasleepandhadadream.Inthisdreamhehearda

voicethankinghimforhiskindnesstostrangers.Asarewardhisvoice

wouldberestoredandhewouldreceivethegiftofstorytelling.Doyou

knowwhathappenedwhenhewokeup?(Pause)Hecouldspeak!From

thatpointon,hisstorieswerepasseddownorally,bywordofmouth,

fromgenerationtogeneration.Onlymanycenturieslaterwerethey

writtendown.

Inanotherincident,Aesop’smastersenthimonanerrandtoclean

thebaths.Amagistrateandhisaidshappenedtobepassingonthesame

roadandheapproachedAesop.“Whereareyougoing?”heasked.You

see,itwasunusualtoseeaslavewalkingalone,likeafreemanalongthe

street.

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Aesopanswered,"Idon'tknow."

“Whatdoyoumean,youdon’tknow?”demandedanannoyed

magistrate.HeorderedhismentotakeAesoptoprison.Ashewas

beingtakenawayAesopreplied,"Yousee,Itoldthetruth.Ididn'tknow

Iwasgoingtoprison,today."Soamusedbythiscomment,the

magistrateletAesopgo.

Manyyearslater,becauseofhiswit,humorandChristwisdom,

Aesop’smasterreleasedhimasaslaveandhebecameafreeman.

CONCLUSION:

WhatvirtuesandattainmentdoyouthinkAesophad?(Allow

childrentoanswer.)Yes,wisdom,kindness,courage,themindof

Christ.

TheentirelifeofAesopwastoexposethatwhichwasunrealin

ourthinkingandbehavior.Hewasabletodothisinahumorousway

throughstoriesthatmockthoseproudandconceitedpartsofpeople.

Hisstoriestaughtusmoralsorlessonsoflifethathelpusconnectwith

ourRealSelf.

LetusendtodaybylisteningtoourbelovedGuruMa,Lanello’s

twinflame,readanAesopfablecalled“FatherandSon”.Afterreadingit,

shetalksaboutAesop’slegacy,meaninghisstories,andshegivesusthe

mainmoralofallhisstories.Wewillthenriseandendbysaying3x

together,“Hail,Lanello!”

Playexcerpt.(1:49min.)

Thenstandandrecite,“HailLanello!”Thankthechildrenforsharing

inthestorytoday.

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