Material Aspects

On the way to spending time in the beautiful Perpetual Adoration Chapel in Cascais, which is open 24/7, I was reflecting on the transient nature of our world's material objects - for instance, the many elegant cars I passed, some of which are useful and some are more for status. In the Chapel there was a beautifully crafted antique wooden chair behind the altar which looked very uncomfortable if sat on for a long time. A delicately embroidered white tablecloth graced the altar, which will inevitably disintegrate and discolour over time. All material aspects in this world - the Chapel, cars, chair, altar cloth, our bodies - all have variable and changing values, and will eventually no longer exist. However, with our recent reflection on the intersection of God's spiritual kingdom with our physical world, Apostle Paul reminds us of the everlasting light shining in our hearts through Jesus Christ (see 2 Corinthians 4:6). "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Corinthians 4:7). The Holy Spirit resides in our inner being for ever. "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day...So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:16; 18). There is our answer. Above all, God's Kingdom provides us with what is of eternal significance.