The world, time and eternity

THAT gospel story about Lazarus and the rich man (cfr Lk

16,19-31) reminds us that we have to be careful not to be so swallowed

up by worldly and temporal affairs that we forget that our ultimate

destination is heaven in eternity.

  

            Our worldly and temporal affairs are, of course, very

important to us, but they should serve only as means, not as ends, of

our life here on earth which is actually a kind of pilgrimage. The

Letter to the Hebrews says something apropos: “For here we do not have

an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.”

(13,14)

  

            In one of the prayers of the Roman Missal, the same

sentiment is also expressed: “As we walk amid passing things, you

teach us by them to love the things of heaven and hold fast to what

endures.”

  

            We have to be ready to translate these words of our

Christian ideal into a reality in our life. We cannot deny that our

weakened human condition has this intense tendency to get so immersed

in our worldly and temporal affairs as to extinguish our desire for

our definitive eternal life in heaven.

  

            It does not mean that we should not take our worldly and

temporal affairs seriously. On the contrary, we have to put all our

mind and heart into them since the way we handle them determines the

kind of eternal destiny that we will have. They are no joking matter

at all. We are asked to be fruitful and productive in this life, but

with the proper motive and intention.

  

            For this, we have to continually check if our spiritual

and supernatural bearing is still functioning. When driven by faith,

hope and charity, we can manage to convert our worldly and temporal

affairs as occasions and means to love and serve God and others.

  

            This may require a certain discipline that we have to

learn as early as possible and to polish frequently, given our

condition that is vulnerable to the allurements of the world and of

the flesh.

  

            That is why Christ told us that we have to continually

deny ourselves and carry the cross daily to enable us to follow Christ

and not somebody or something else in this life. (cfr. Mt 16,24)

  

            Learning that discipline, exerting effort to assume a

spiritual and supernatural bearing while immersed in the things of

this world should not be hard if we consider that our worldly and

temporal affairs and all the materials involved are part of God’s

providence. They are not and should not be an obstacle in our love for

God and others, since it is God who is behind all of them.

  

            Even in our mistakes and sins, we can still make use of

them to relate ourselves—and even in more intense way—to God. Remember

that episode about a sinful woman who shed tears on Christ’s feet,

then wiped them with her hair and perfumed them. (Lk 7,36-50)

  

            “Her many sins have been forgiven,” he said, “for she

loved much. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” (7,47)

   

            Our sins can occasion a great surge of love for God when

we go to him asking for forgiveness which is actually readily given.

We should never forget that every event in our life, including the bad

ones, can be a material and a means for conversing with God and

nourishing our relationship with him.

   

            The important thing to do is that we so make full use of

the gifts of faith, hope and charity as to enable us to look, find and

love God in everything that we do and in every situation we may find

ourselves in.