The WORD in Other Words by Fr Atilano Corcuera Jr SVD (Philippines) for 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel
Lk 20:27-38 or Lk 20:27, 34-38
One big reason why I decided to become a priest was a sermon delivered by a young priest during a Perpetual Help Novena. He spoke about eternity and heaven, using simple analogies.
For instance, he said that if we compared eternity to millions of years, eternity had not yet begun. With heaven, he also said that if we compared the happiness in heaven to the happiest moment in our life, multiply that feeling to a million times, the joy in heaven was just beginning.
There and then, I decided that I wanted to go there. And to have a high probability of reaching heaven. I decided to become a priest. Of course this was the time before I studied philosophy, theology and the Bible.
Now I have discovered that while I want to go to heaven, God in his goodness INFINITELY desires it first, that I, we all, go to heaven. In fact that is why he created humans, so that there will be communion of saints there. “In my Father‘s house there are many rooms… ” To make sure that we reach our true destiny, Jesus offered his life for our salvation.
The problem is, God who created us without asking our “permission,” cannot bring us to the joy of heaven without our “permission.” Do we want to share God‘s infinite glory?
The answer lies in our day—to—day lives — in the decisions we make, in the thoughts that we nurture, in the words that we speak and in the actions that we do. Do we live our lives in the light of eternity‘?
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