What Really Matters
Eugenia Price (1916-1996) is the author of dozens of inspirational books and many bestselling historical romances. Forty million copies of her books have been sold in 18 languages worldwide. Born in Charleston, West Virginia in the US, Eugenia wanted to be a writer ever since she was ten. However, she studied dentistry in college for two years before she decided to return to her first love, writing.

Hired by National Broadcasting Company (NBC) she wrote and produced several successful radio shows. After a conversion experience at the age of 33, she started producing inspirational radio shows which later led her to a career as an inspirational author and a historical novelist. While she was enormously successful as an inspirational author she also made a name for herself by writing many beautiful historical novels. Eugenia who had declared herself an atheist at the time of her high school graduation became not only a strong believer in God through her conversion but also a passionate promoter of God’s love for us.

It was in this context she asked herself the question, ‘What really matters in life?’ Her quest for an answer made her write a book under the title What Really Matters? But before we look at her answer let us look at some possible answers. Is wealth the most important thing in life as many people believe? Or, is it power, prestige and recognition as many seem to think? For many others it could be having higher education and a high-paying job. For others it could be having a peaceful family life. There could be others who regard art and literature as the most important thing in life. If we are fervent adherents of religion our faith may be the most important thing in our life. Eugenia understands the importance of faith in our life.

However, she also understands the importance of prayer which always connects us with God. She also sees the importance of the worship of God in our life. While looking at what really matters in our life Eugenia is not willing to underestimate the importance of love and service especially because they are the hallmarks of any true religion.

However, according to Eugenia, what truly matters in our life is God’s love for us which is everlasting. This is because we owe our existence to his love; he continues to love us and bless us even when we don’t love him; he never stops loving us even when we reject him deliberately with our misdeeds; moreover, he loves us dearly even when we don’t love ourselves because of self-hatred.

Eugenia finds meaning to our existence primarily because we are the objects of God’s eternal love. The fact that God loves us even when nobody loves us should make us convinced that what really matters in our life is God’s love for us, says Eugenia. There are times people complain that God has abandoned them. But according to Eugenia, the contrary is true because God never stops loving us. What happens is that we stop loving him when things go wrong and move away from the friendship he offers us.

If God continues to love us even when we stop loving him wholeheartedly, shouldn’t we see God’s love for us as the most important thing in our life as Eugenia argues? It is because of his great love for us that God said though Prophet Isaiah, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you! Behold, I have inscribed you on the palm of my hands” (49:15-16).

God loves us so much that the has inscribed our names on the palm of his hands. Moreover, as we read in the Gospel of St. John, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (3:16). Yes, God’s love for us is what really matters in our life especially because it brings us everlasting life with him.
 

(Reprinted from my column, Reflections in Pallikuttam, The Education Observer, October 2020; https://www.pallikkutam.com/magazines/pallikkutam).

Funny Stories
Expectations: A fourth-grade teacher had to leave the room for a few minutes. When she returned, she found the children in perfect order. Everybody was sitting absolutely quiet. She was shocked and stunned and said, “I’ve never seen anything like it before. This is wonderful. But, please tell me, what came over all of you? Why are you so well behaved and quiet?” Finally, after much urging, little Sally spoke up and said, “Well, one time you said that if you ever came back and found as quiet, you will drop dead.”

Spousal love: One Sunday the pastor was finishing up a series on marriage. At the end of the service he was giving out small wooden crosses to each married couple. He said, "Place this cross in the room in which you fight the most and you will be reminded of God’s commandment of love and you won’t argue as much." One woman came up after the service and said, "You’d better give me five crosses." (via Fr. Tony)

Not to Love: “How much would you give me not to love my big sister?” A pastor was speaking to a Sunday school class about the things money can’t buy. “It can’t buy laughter and it can’t buy love” he told them. Driving his point home, he said, “What would you do if I offered you $1000 not to love your mother and father?” Stunned silence ensued. Finally, a small voice queried, “How much would you give me not to love my big sister?”

Pie for six people: A man walked into a bakery, carrying a pie box. He approached the clerk at the counter. The clerk said, Yes, sir, what can I do for you?” The man replied, “I want my money back! I bought this pie yesterday.” The clerk looked at him and said, “But where is the pie?” The man said, “I ate it! ALL of it!” So the clerk asked him why he thought he should get his money back if he had eaten the whole thing. “See here on the box? It says It’s supposed to feed 6 people. I am not 6 people!”

Efficient secretary: Soon after our high-tech company moved into a new building, we had trouble with the elevators. A manager got stuck between the floors and, after some door banging, finally attracted attention. His name was taken and rescue promised. It took two hours before the elevator mechanic arrived and got the manager out. When he returned to the desk, he found this note from his efficient secretary, “The elevator company called and will be here in two hours.”

Thin and beautiful: While on maternity leave, a woman brought in her little bundle of joy to her office. She also had her seven-year-old son with her. Everyone gathered around the baby, and the little boy asked, “Mommy,can I have some money to buy a soda?” “What do you say? She asked. Respectfully the boy replied, “You’re thin and beautiful.” The woman reached in her purse and gave her son the money.

See you in the Church,
Fr. Jose