Born with nothing, we left with nothing. But, what we do between birth and death makes this life interesting.
Today’s Gospel, for me, is a reminder that we can do so many things in this life that will give us merit to both our temporary home and eternal home in heaven. I attended a TV mass because of the current situation that we are in. Fr. Emil Lim, SVD, has opened my eyes and my heart to the true meaning of being both a citizen of a country and being a child of God.
Fr. Lim highlighted Matthew 22:21 (Good News Bible):
… So Jesus said to them, “Well, then, pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and pay to God what belongs to God.”
Rather than denoting a separation between the church and the state, this statement reveals our true identity and responsibility.
We are here in this world as citizens of the country we are living. But, let us not forget that as Christians, we are also citizens of heaven. We are pilgrims in this world, because our true home is in heaven.
Personal Note
Now, the real challenge for us is, how can we play the role as Christians and as citizens of this world, at the same time? What can we do that will earn us a mark on earth and a place in our heavenly home?
Perhaps, we can say to ourselves why bother exerting effort when we will all gonna die with nothing in the end? Aren’t we pilgrims and this is not our home? So, why do we need to do so much in this life when we will just leave everything behind?
Yes. We are pilgrims and earth is our temporary home. Yet, everything that we do today on this planet orchestrates to our eternal home. What we do today, for our temporary home, will have a mark on our accounts in heaven.
This life prepares you to the next. It’s like a dry run, a training ground – a place where you get the chance to change for the better. Depending on how you see it, your life could be a blessing or a curse. How you see your life and how you act in this world reflects how much you know of your heavenly citizenship. Your actions are manifestations of your heart, and a reflection of the kind of impression you want to make in heaven.
So Before We Left…
We don’t necessarily need to do novel and heroic deeds just to become legends. We are already legends if we do our job in a godly and holy way. Simple act of kindness and a simple sharing of our blessing to those in need merits us more than tons of gold. Our prayers and our well-wishes to everyone harmonizes us to our ultimate home.
After all, if this life will end and if this world will perish, at least, we have already left a mark to our eternal home. We are pilgrims in this world, but more to that, we are citizens of heaven – we are legends.