Dear Jack,<\/p>\n
One of the things that comforts me most in this prison of a cubicle is days like today, when we celebrate the memory of obscure saints.\u00a0 Maybe it\u2019s because I am in an obscure position and would nevertheless like to become a saint.\u00a0 Maybe.\u00a0 But I think there\u2019s another reason that goes deeper.\u00a0 I keep thinking about heaven, and how indescribable it will be to see God face to face, and to be surrounded by all the men, women, and children who populate the heavenly Kingdom.\u00a0 Maybe I\u2019m especially sensitive to this because of my current isolation, but I can\u2019t help thinking that this festive atmosphere in which there will be unlimited time to get to know all the most wonderful people who ever lived (the famous and the not-so-famous) will be one of the bigger contributors to the joys of heaven.<\/p>\n
Take today\u2019s saints, for instance.\u00a0 We know hardly anything about these two Galileans, but they must have been great people to hang out with if God gave them the noteworthy task of being Jesus\u2019 grandparents.\u00a0 Supposedly they married at a young age, suffered public mockery and reproach because they couldn\u2019t have children, and obtained the blessing of fertility only after much prayer and fasting and the appearance of angel.\u00a0 But they were normal folk just like the librarian and the janitor, normal folk who sought God and found him, and let God transform them into glorious, unique manifestations of his greatness.\u00a0 They were earmarked to be the parents of another normal girl \u2013 with special privileges, of course, but just as human as you or me, probably moreso since she wasn\u2019t scarred by any sin \u2013 who was destined to become Queen of Heaven and Earth.\u00a0 She too we will be able to spend time with in heaven.\u00a0 Imagine playing charades with all these folks after a scrumptious turkey dinner!<\/p>\n
Maybe I am waxing a bit too fantastical.\u00a0 I doubt it, though.\u00a0 Scripture tells us that the reality will be more fantastic than our imagination can paint it (remember St Paul\u2019s famous phrase \u2013 which he took from Isaiah \u2013 \u201ceye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love him\u201d [1Cor 2:9)).\u00a0 And in that case, I think I will go right ahead and continue to derive plenty of consolation in thinking about it. And I hope you do too.<\/p>\n
Your loving uncle,<\/p>\n
Eddy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dear Jack, One of the things that comforts me most in this prison of a cubicle is days like today, when we celebrate the memory of obscure saints.\u00a0 Maybe it\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":145992,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[3719],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-142537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncle-eddy"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"","pp_force_visibility":null,"pp_subpost_visibility":null,"pp_inherited_force_visibility":null,"pp_inherited_subpost_visibility":null,"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n