Mighty Milo

Milo of the ancient city of Kroton, a Greek colony of Southern Italy, was a legendary wrestler with extraordinary strength, who won the Olympic wrestling championship six times between the years 540 to 516 B.C.

While he was a boy, his father gifted a newborn bull calf to Milo. He used to lift up the calf in his arms and carry it on his back everyday. Since it grew up only gradually, Milo did not notice the change in its weight. He continued the exercise everyday and his strength grew along with his calf. He could easily lift it in his arms even when it grew into an adult bull. This enabled him to become an athlete of unparalleled strength and stamina.

The story of Milo’s successful training teaches us a lesson in spiritual development. We can gain the power to resist great temptations if we practice resisting minor temptations of life regularly and constantly with the power of prayer and faith in God’s infinite grace. God will grant us the strength to endure temptations.

The pretty, smooth and round pebbles found near waterfalls are formed by years of slow, natural grinding and polishing. Similarly, our wilful and prayerful resistance to even minor temptations gradually reforms our character and leads to a life of spiritual strength and moral maturity.

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© By Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India and Leo. S. John, Maniparambil, Ooriyakunnath,Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally, Kottayam-686507, Kerala, India.

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