LITTLE SINS

       Two sinners visited a holy man and asked his advice. "We have done wrong," they said, "and our conscience is troubled. What must we do to be forgiven ?"

       "Tell me of your wrong doings, my sons." said the old man.

       The first man said, "I committed a great and grievous sin."

       The second man said, " I have done small things, nothing much to worry about."

       "All right," said the holy man, "Go and bring me a stone for each sin."

       The first man came with a big boulder> The second man cheerfully brought a bag full
of small stones.

       "Now," said the old man, "go and put them all back to where you found it."

       The first man lifted the rock and staggered back to place where he has gotten it. The
second man could not remember where half the stones belonged, so he just gave up. It was
too much like work.

       "Sins are like these stones," said the old man. "If a man commits a great sin, it is like a heavy
stone in his conscience. But with true sorrow it is removed completely. But the man who is
constantly committing small sins which he knows to be wrong, gets hardened to them and feel
no sorrow. So he remains a sinner.

       " So you see, my sons," concluded the old man, "It is more important to avoid little sins as well as the big ones. "

                                                                                                --  Tony Castle