Beyond the Clouds by Fr. Jacob Nampudakam, S.A.C. | Page 99

Meeting and parting are a fact of life, we say. We reunite with much joy, and
leave with sweet sorrow. Meeting leads to communion, but parting breaks the
kindred hearts and leaves a taste of loss within. It can be a physical loss- like
losing a limb in an accident- or it can by a psychological loss, like losing a dear
one, or love and prestige. Worse, still, is spiritual loss; and the worst
experience- as the Psalmist would consider- is the loss of the presence and
vision of God.
Beatific vision or eternal life with God is the ultimate goal of every Christian.
It is the state of eternal bliss. To lose our Father for eternity would be the
most gut wrenching loss of all. Such is the fate of a hardened sinner who
rejects the divine invitation to the fullness of divine life. As Pope Francis says,
“God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking His
mercy.”
Circling back to our plane journey, we have already landed on the ground. We
descended through the clouds, experiencing plenty of jerks until the wheels
caught our weight softly. We are comforted and happy to be back. Welcome
home.
I am sure that all of us have seen videos or films of homecomings of parents
and dear ones. What sweet consolation to see soldiers fighting in dangerous
wars come back to his child running into his arms! He presses the child so tight
to his heart, as perhaps the mother watches from a distance with another
toddler in her hands. Finally, they tearfully embrace, and the little puppy
even remembers his master! A real homecoming!
When we depart the plane, we wish at least a few people goodbye; including
the crews waiting at the door. To one or the other, we might even add “see you
again.” Yet just like the seat we had just occupied for our journey, our sojourn
in this world is really for a limited period of time. During the flight we have
full ownership of it; even fighting over it if it was encroached by someone. But
once the journey is over, it’s already allotted to a new person ready to take
flight.
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