Reflection on 'The Shortness of Life'

I was inspired today by a quote I read in the paper by Lucius Seneca (c. 4 BC – AD 65), Roman Stoic Philosopher. He wrote "The Shortness of Life".

(Read more here for the full article of "The Shortness of Life" & readers' comments)

I especially liked his quotes which depict how we "live", but do not really "live" -- That everything could very well be idle preoccupations, but not really leisure. It is so true sometimes! "The part of life we really live is small.” For all the rest of existence is not life, but merely time (Lucius Seneca)

But... as I was reading on, into the comments on this post, I came to read someone's comments, which consisted bible passages. It not only enlightened me, but made my heart jump a little. And I began to think, that philosophy is still philosophy after all, it is MAN's ruminations. But when it comes to the Word of God, I feel that it is not just "ruminations" but it is the answer of Life.

Maybe this faith to believe this, is God's grace too, for I realise that no one can really have hope in a book such as the bible, unless they have been given that "spiritual insight" by God.

So then, will people who are not believers ever be able to get that spiritual insight? Yes, by God's grace. So if their hearts are open, if they would just go directly to question this God about HIS truths, I believe HE would show himself to them.

From PROVERBS 3:1-10
Have you considered these words:
1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart,
2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.
3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.
8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

Have you considered what Jesus said about living for the after life instead of this life?

Treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-24)
19″Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22″The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24″No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

2 Corinthians 4:18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

1 John 2:17
The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

Be privileged to carry The Cross

Watched Paul the Musical over the weekend. It was a musical on the life of St. Paul, produced by the church of St. Mary of the Angels. Great performance, well written, my fellow friends from YAM who were with me that day also found it surprisingly delightful.

And it makes me think of a few things.

For example, how did Paul manage to have that much zeal to become a missionary of the Gospel, going to different lands, letting go of everything that he had before the experience on the road to Damascus? It must have been a truly life-changing encounter with the Lord Jesus!

So we may need that life-changing encounter. Some of us, have experienced it before while some are still searching. If you are still searching, continue. We are all still "on the journey"!

I’d sought Jesus,… 10 years ago, during a camp called Youth in the Spirit Seminar. It changed my life and that’s why I am serving in Youth Ministry today.

But the point I’d make today is that this does not end. In fact, like St. Paul, we need to persevere to the finish line – and that is the end of our life.

How long more do we need to serve God? It’s not “how long more” but Forever.

We need to realise that it is a privilege to carry the cross as we walk to our finish line… not to see that it is a burden.

Like the image of a “crevice” before reaching the “Holy Land”, we need to realise that the cross is like our “bridge” that helps us to cross over. Without it… we are stuck and have no means to go over.

So it’s like carrying a passport. A passport into Heaven.

An inspiring quote

Short Excerpt by Os Hillman:

The apostle Paul said, "For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose (Philippians 2:13). God has equipped us with everything we need to make good decisions. Hearing His voice is the first step toward making right choices in life.

Do you have a decision to make? Submit that decision to the Lord, ask God for clarity. Ask Him to make the desires of your heart the same desires that He has for you in this matter. Await His perfect timing on the matter. Then you can be assured of making the right decisions.

GOd Bless!

JOIN us to Pray for EDYD'09!

Our prayer:

Everlasting God, our Father, we pray for the East District Youth Day 2009, that all participants will experience HOPE through Your presence in the Holy Eucharist. May our young people be renewed, to rise on wings like eagles, run and not get weary. Dearest Mary, Mother of God, we ask for your intercession for our young people, may they experience the joy that comes from doing all that Jesus Christ, your Son calls them to do. Amen.

Just a thought... Do you pray before each day?

Do you have a prayer at your bedside, at your work desk, your study table, your diary, wallet, and so on?

I've found that it has helped me. Every time I start my day at work in a rush, stopping for less then a minute, to say that little prayer pasted on my wall, helps to calm me down.

And where it is a prayer, it can be just words. You could just be saying words. But where there's faith, these words come to life, and our Lord Jesus hears our prayer. If we pray with faith, it is powerful indeed.

So start your day with a prayer, pray unceasingly! 1 Thessalonians 5: 17

Click here for today's focus on 1 Thessalonians 5:17
http://www.heavensinspirations.com/pray-unceasingly.html