28 November, Friday — Infinity and beyond

Friday of Week 34 in Ordinary Time

Dan 7:2-14
Lk 21:29-33

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

Have you ever really pondered the concept of eternity? In our everyday language, we speak ever so lightly of ‘always’, ‘forever’, ‘infinity’, ‘endless’, etc. But do we really have an understanding of what that truly means?

If you ask me, I will say without hesitation that I understand that concept. But do I? I truly don’t think I comprehend the far-reaching meaning and implication of forever. 

The earth is so many billions of years old — mountains and oceans have been in existence long before you and I were born. We thought that these things of nature, created things, would be standing for a very long time, if not forever. Yet, we have seen rivers dry up and mountains eroded. Through forces of nature such as earthquakes and volcanoes, there have been both creation and destruction of land.  The point is, things that we think last a long time, may actually last only a limited amount of time.

Shift our focus to what Jesus said. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Never, forever, infinite, eternity. To me, this is interpreted as a promise that what Jesus taught is the truth, the unwavering truth that cannot be altered or changed by the tides of time. They do not change with the fickleness of societal pressures or any extrinsic forces. His words withstand the test of time, ever constant and everlasting.

Within this phrase, I also see a warning. Precisely because Jesus’ words are the truth, what He taught, what He said about God’s love and righteousness; our sins and consequential judgements, they are eternal truths. We know that there will be reckoning at the end of time, maybe in the near future or maybe long after we fall asleep, but there will be an accounting of our lives.

With this in mind, it is in our best interest to pay attention, to really pay attention to our Lord’s teaching and words. They are the pearls of wisdom and pathways for us to gain eternal life. Only then, can we truly appreciate the meaning of eternity.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Winnie Kung)

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your words are the ultimate truth and everlasting. Sometimes, we cannot fully grasp them. We pray that the Holy Spirit will grant us the wisdom and understanding so that we may try our best to follow Your word. 

Thanksgiving: Heavenly Father, thank you for sending us the Holy Spirit, the Angels and Saints to guide us along. Most importantly, for Jesus and His teachings, so that we are never left in the dark, but You provide light onto our path.