The WORD in other words (2018) by Fr Jun Perez SVD – South Korea
Tuesday 24th Week in Ordinary Time
My first encounter as a chaplain to a Filipino community in Korea was the birth of a baby boy with hydrocephalus, a life threatening condition. I journeyed with the family for seventy days, from the day he was brought to the hospital until his ashes were flown back to his parents’ hometown in the Philippines. The handing over of the baby’s fresh ashes in a white envelope was most touching – from the crematorium office to me and from me to the parents. There was silence especially when the mother clutched the white envelope close to her heart.
When the Lord Jesus saw a heartbreaking scene as he drew near the gate of the city of Nain, he was moved with pity because the dead man was the only son of his mother who was a widow. The dead man was her treasure and security. He could have been her support in her old age, but now he is gone. The Lord understood the pain of the mother, so he gave her son back to her alive, for the Lord is the resurrection and life.
When we lose a loved one, sometimes we question God. But no one can fathom the wisdom of God, the source of life. We believe that while our earthly life will end, we will gain eternal life where there will be no more pain, suffering and death, but only happiness and bliss.
We live only once in this world. Why not make our earthly life pleasing to God and to others? Life is beautiful if it becomes a source of inspiration to others, when they see God in us because our life comes forth from him.
