26 October, Tuesday — Ultimate Glory

Tuesday of Week 30 in Ordinary Time

Rm 8:18-25
Lk 13:18-21                                                                                              

…what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory… which is waiting for us.

My friend, ‘B’, recently passed away, to my utter shock. I miss my friend dearly.

I remember all the times we used to hang out together in the nights, having our ‘kopi and makan’ sessions. I recall the many times B shared with me about his aspirations and his dreams. He shared his plans and looked forward to new and better adventures. He talked about how he was thinking of possibly moving overseas. He talked about new careers and new work.

During our gatherings, B also shared his fears and frustrations. He talked of disagreements with friends. We discussed our faith, and the challenges faced every day.

When I first heard of B’s passing, I remembered all of our conversations. Yet as I thought of him, I also realised that all his worries and frustrations no longer mattered; what mattered was that he was now on the next phase of his eternal life — in heaven. All of his fears and frustrations had disappeared and did not matter in light of his moving to eternal glory.

In the first reading of today, this passage to glory was what Paul was referring to. Yet, in our daily grind, it is so easy to be drawn in, to focus on our earthly problems and challenges. We simply forget that these are merely temporary. It doesn’t even take our deaths for us to realise this. All it needs is time! In three months, six months, one year, we will all have forgotten the struggles we face today.

What hit me as well was when our Lord Jesus likened God’s kingdom to a woman mixing one measure of yeast with three measures of flour. In my mind’s eye, I saw the image of a rising batch of dough in proofing, given time and heat. We too are like the flour, with our faith and the Gospel mixed in through us. It is through our deaths that we can rise like the dough and experience the true fruition of God’s glory in us.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Paul Wee)

Prayer: Father, we pray that as we live our daily lives, our eyes may be set upon You, and not just the ground on which we stand. Help us remember that our earthly time is only temporary.

Thanksgiving: Abba Father, thank you for loving us and reserving a place for us in Your eternal kingdom.