Paulo Coelho's A Christmas Story

A Christmas Story

According to an old and well-known legend, a

week before Christmas, Archangel Michael asked

his angels to visit the earth. He wanted to

know if everything was ready for the

celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. He

sent them in pairs, always an older angel

accompanying a younger one, so that they could

have a broader picture of what happened in

Christianity.

One of these pairs was assigned to Brazil,

where they arrived late one night. Since they

had nowhere to sleep, they took shelter in one

of the great mansions that can be seen in

certain parts of Rio de Janeiro.

The owner, a nobleman on the verge of

bankruptcy (which, incidentally, happens to

many people in that city), was a fervent

Catholic, and soon recognized the heavenly

pair by the golden halos on their head.

However, he was too busy preparing a big

Christmas, and so as not to disturb the

completed decorations, he requested that his

heavenly guests to sleep in the basement.

Although Greetings cards are always

illustrated with snow falling, Christmas falls

in the middle of summer in Brazil, the sun was

scorching hot and the air, full of moisture,

it was almost suffocating. The angels laid

down on a hard floor, but before starting

their prayers, the older angel noticed a crack

in the wall. He got up, repaired it using his

divine powers, and returned to his evening

prayers. The two felt as though they had spent

the night in hell, it was so hot.

They slept very poorly, but they needed to

fulfill the mission entrusted to them by God.

The next day, they went through the big city,

with its 12 million inhabitants, its beaches

and mountains, its contrasts, its beautiful

landscapes and its horrible places. They

completed their reports, and when night fell

back they began to travel into the country.

But, distracted by the difference in hours,

they again found themselves with no place to

sleep.

They knocked on the door of a humble home,

where a couple came to meet them. Lacking

access to medieval engravings that portrayed

the messengers of God, the couple did not

recognize the two pilgrims, but told the

angels that if they were in need of shelter,

the house was theirs. They prepared a dinner,

presented their little newborn baby and

offered his room to the angels. They

apologized that they were poor and that while

the heat was great during the day, they had no

money to buy an air conditioner.

When the angels awoke the next day they found

the couple in tears. Their only possession, a

cow that gave milk for cheese, and support for

the family, was found dead in their field.

They quickly parted with the pilgrims,

embarrassed because they could not prepare a

breakfast.

While walking through the mud road, the

younger angel showed his anger, “I can not

understand this way of doing things! The first

man had everything he needed, and yet you

helped him by repairing his wall. Then with

this poor couple, who received us so well and

kindly, you did nothing to alleviate their

suffering!”

“Things are not what they seem,” said the

older angel, “when we were in that awful

basement, I noticed there was plenty of gold

hidden in the wall of the mansion, left there

by a previous owner. The crack was exposing

the treasure, and I decided to hide it again,

because the landlord did not help those in

need. Yesterday, while we slept in the bed the

poor couple offered, I noticed that a third

guest had arrived, the angel of death. He had

been sent to take the child, but since I've

known him for many years, I convinced him to

take the life of the cow in its place."

Remember the day that is about to be

celebrated; since people didn’t give much

value to appearance, no one wanted to take

Mary in. But the pastors welcomed her, and

because of that, they had the grace to be the

first to behold the smile of the Savior of the

World.