The Call of Life- a Column

The Call of LIFE

Life is a very short thing. It is truly fleeting (except during our social studies class; I swear the time really feels like it crawls by). It is too short to waste on inconsequential matters. It is too short, and so we must live life to the fullest, however cliché that might sound.

On my last column ever (now that I’m graduating), I would just like to share a lesson from our retreat. As a Catholic school student, we’re extremely lucky that the school holds annual retreats, from grade 5 to fourth year. This year, we had it in Baguio.

It has been more than just a trip; it actually made me realize how beautiful and precious the world could be. Just for a short time, we were able to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It was a time to be with God, to reflect, and to evaluate our life as it really is, and the state in which we exist, without the deceitful mask that the world forces us into.

So, the theme for our retreat is “The Call of Life”. What is life? It may be a maze, a roller coaster, a jungle, a race, a battle, a party, a plant. It is everything and anything you want it to be. More importantly, life is our journey back home to God.

We are children of God. It is our duty to know, love, and serve God. However, we must treat this not as a duty, but a privilege. It is a privilege to know, love, and serve God. Believing in God entails us to know more about Him. Loving God entails our whole hearts, minds, and wills in order to manifest our faith in our service to Him.

We, too, are Servants of God. We serve Him, by serving our neighbour. We serve our neighbour by doing good acts, big or small. As long as it is whole-hearted, it is a deed that makes all the angels sing with glee in the heavens above. It must be true. Remember, it is not an act. And only in our sincerity can it be meaningful. Actually, anything we do can only hold meaning if it is done with an honest heart. Forget all the pride, the deceit, and all the...