THE GOOD NEWS
ARCHBISHOP BELTRAN

September 23, 2007

The Good News

...A Reflection

My father was born in Spain in 1902. At the age of 18, he came to the United States, traveling by ship for eight days to reach New York. He lived in this country until his death in 1961. During that time, he never left the United States nor had he ever been on a plane.

These thoughts came to me as I stood in line waiting for the air bus I was about to board for a nine-hour flight from Brussels, Belgium, to Monrovia, Liberia, on the west coast of Africa.  As I watched, I was captivated by the amount of cargo being loaded onto the plane. The several hundred passengers and all our hundreds of bags (tons of luggage) being put on board was not all as the contents of eight very large pallets and containers were also put into the hold.  Each of these held at least as much freight as a very large pickup truck could carry. Not only was I  captivated by the huge tonnage but also by the ease and speed with which it was loaded. With the proper equipment, it required only two men to handle the hundreds of bags and two other men to load the pallets and containers.

When my father boarded his ship in 1920, I wonder what he would have thought and said if someone described the scene and activity before my eyes? From the deck of his ship, still seven and a half days from New York, it would have seemed like science fiction, if they even used that term back then! What would have been a dream or a vision for my father was a real scene that I watched and that I took for granted.

I wondered what scenes and experiences the thousand young people I confirmed this past year will observe 50 or 60 years from now? Certainly they will far surpass my experiences. Their experiences will be based on improved technology, advancement in science, communications and transportation. The marvels and beauty of our universe continue to be discovered, appreciated and enjoyed. What then about the One who created all this? The One who energizes and sets it all in motion? The One who is Lord of all?

One of our religious hymns, based on the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, strikingly tells us: “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard what God has ready for those who love Him. Spirit of love, come give us the mind of Jesus, teach us the wisdom of God.”

Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, is the Lord of all! Unlike all other reality, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is the eternal, all good and gracious God.  Jesus is Lord of all!

For us who live by faith and not by sight, human life is appreciated as a unique and marvelous gift because it is  a sharing in the Divine Life. God created us in His own Image and Likeness. He made us to receive His love and to love Him in return. He made us for a purpose.  He has a plan for us. God so loves the world that he sent His Son Jesus to save us. Jesus reveals to us this plan of God. He reminds us of the joy of heaven that awaits us who believe. For us He lived, He suffered and He died. Jesus rose from the dead to bring us new life.

Life is a journey.  For those with no faith, it is a dead end. It has no purpose beyond the grave. Every-thing must be experienced here and now as there is no eternity.  But, for us who believe, each day, each step, every problem, every solution offers us the experience of God’s presence.  We are constantly learning. We are discovering new ways to take up the cross of daily living. We see beyond material reality to that reality that never ends. We long for peace and love which can never be found in things or wealth or fame. But we do discover real and lasting peace and joy and fulfillment in Jesus. He is the Way. He is the Truth. He is the Life. He is the one and only Lord of all.

I would be foolish to cross the ocean in the boat my father took to New York. Future generations will be foolish if they only rely on the jumbo jets of today. All of us, men and women of every age, of every background are foolish if we rely on technology and science and human achievement and do not acknowledge the Almighty, Eternal and all-Glorious God who created and sustains everything.

All of us are blessed when we humbly, sincerely and joyfully turn to the Lord and exclaim: “My God and my All” for “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard what God has ready for those who love Him. Spirit of love, come give us the mind of Jesus, teach us the wisdom of God."