A story for every day...
The fine willingly paid.
It is well known that in England there have long been unjust laws designed to curtail the performance of religious ceremonies. One day it happened that a devout Catholic, who enjoyed a great fortune, was condemned to pay five hundred gold coins, because he had dared to attend Mass. The Catholic looked for the finest Portuguese gold coins he could find, bearing the imprint of a cross, and presented the entire sum to the court. As he counted them in front of the Protestant clerk, the latter smiled and asked him, full of astonishment, why he was using such beautiful coins to pay his fine. To this question made in an ironic tone, the Catholic contented himself with answering: “I would think I was sinning by paying with a more common and ordinary currency, the grace which was given to me to be able to adore my Savior and my God in the holy Sacrament of the altar. Know also, Sir, that between the cross whose image you see imprinted on this coin, and the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, there are many traits of analogy, for both are monuments of the infinite love of our Savior.”
