Paint Party Friday: See You in Heaven!

 "So it will be on the day the 

Son of Man is revealed." Luke 17:30

As the liturgical year comes to a close 

there will be more readings about the end times, 

tribulations, the signs, judgement, 

and about how we should be vigilant. 

How do we respond to Jesus' revelation 

of how it will be at the end? 

Just as in the days of Noah, unless we are close to God 

and listening to Him, we will just be 

going about our every day business. 

Do we think of this as just a fairy tale? 

Concocted like the stories of our yaya (nanny) 

when we were young to scare us into behaving? 

Or do we take it seriously? 

Knowing that all of us will die some day 

and there is some sort of reckoning and judgement to come.

We won't know for certain when we will leave this earth. 

I heard of this radio announcer who was 

talking about death on his time slot, 

and then that same day, he died in a motorcycle accident. 

And just yesterday, a good friend 

I used to see every day at mass, Ric de Leon, died. 

He was always telling me to pray for him 

because he was naughty and liked a good laugh. 

I will always remember him fondly. 

And I can't help thinking that he is having 

a wonderful time with my mom who passed away in February, 

and Judge Savellano who died almost at the same time. 

The Judge always greeted us, when we saw him 

at the Blessed Sacrament, "See you in heaven!"

One thing is clear- the good Lord did not intend 

that we live forever in this fleshly body 

that is decaying every single day. 

And my response to that is, "Wonderful!!!" 

I think that is why God allows the creaky knees, 

failing memory, cancer, wrinkles, the pain of separation, etc. 

It's a constant reminder that this is our temporary home.

And like the Judge, I'd like to say to each one, "See you in heaven!"

 "The Kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:21. 

Another version reads, 

"The Kingdom of God is already in your midst."

Jesus compared the Kingdom of God 

to yeast and a tiny mustard seed. 

Why did Jesus compare it to such insignificant things? 

Perhaps because the Kingdom was initiated 

by an insignificant babe born in an unimportant stable 

in an inconsequential town. 

Perhaps because the Kingdom started with people 

of no power and influence who allowed 

a seed of faith to grow within them.

There are 2.2 billion Christians in the world, 

32% of the world's population (2012 study, couldn't find a more recent one). 

Isn't that amazing? 

That from a rag-taggle group of those few followers of Jesus, 

we have grown 2 billion strong?

If only each one of us unleashes the power of 

that insignificant seed of faith in our hearts, 

and allow the Spirit of God to change us and the world around us!

"Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. 

For indeed, that's all who ever have." 

Margaret Mead

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Patsy