On the first day of March, I will turn 77. As a child in the 1950s, I remember commercials for a beer called Arrow 77. Soon my age will match the number on that beer!
I share these thoughts about age because I’m not sure how many more birthdays I will be celebrating. My family is not especially long-lived. My mother died at 72; my father at 75, and my sister, Margie, at 75. My sister, Helen, however, lived to 80, and I have a brother, Bill, who is alive and well at 80. So there is hope for a few more years.
Duration is not the ultimate measure of life. I think we measure a life by its quality. Jesus stated it pretty well when he said: “I do always the things that please my Father” (cf. Jn 8:29). Jesus was clear that living life was not something he did just for himself. He wanted to please his Father.
As we pray the Our Father each day, we are conscious that we share the same heavenly Father. We are by adoption what Jesus was by nature.
You and I who follow Christ do it from a sense of commitment. But there are many other wonderful people who may not share our faith in Christ, but still live generous and loving lives. Back in the 1960s, during my seminary days, theologians referred to them as “anonymous Christians.” They didn’t claim any particular belief system, but their loving behavior showed signs of God’s presence.
Life reveals the basic goodness of people. Yes, there are cruel and ruthless dictators. There are people who resort to crime and violence. Fortunately, they are the exceptions. Most people live good and decent lives.
So I just wanted to celebrate this. Goodness is here to stay. For that we thank God!
Read More Wit & Wisdom
Copyright © 2022 Catholic Review Media
