saying goodbye properly: what it means: 7th week easter tuesday 2012

Last Tuesday, I shared with you a thought about saying goodbye properly as did our Lord in our gospel that day, that saying goodbye too is necessary for growth, that saying goodbye properly to the things we love and value, the spirit of detachment, is our way of practicing dying, and that saying goodbye properly, that is to cut and cut clean, is part of conversion, of leaving behind that things that prevent us from truly serving the Lord so necessary, however, painful they maybe. 

Now St. Paul is saying goodbye to the Christians of Ephesus telling them that probably, as he sensed his end, this was the last time they were going to see each other.  In doing so Paul narrated a typical pamilinbilin.  He told the people how he had served the Lord with humility, how he had been faithful even amidst tears and persecution, how he never shrunk from telling them the truth despite the dire consequences he has to face for telling the painful truth.  He told them how ready he was to face any eventuality in his service for the Lord, at peace now with the thought of having done everything that he was asked.  He was at peace.

I think we should also work for the same nga kon pananglitan hatagan kita sing kahigayunan nga maghambal sang aton pamilinbilin, mahimo man naton ini katulad ni San Pablo nga may kalinong sa iya kaugalingon, wala damo regrets, wala damo nga pamasol, wala sing damo nga mga paghinulsol, wala damo nga panumboy.  And we could only do that when we are sincere in our service to the Lord.

How could we form such attitude?  We can glean several things from St. Paul.  I will just take two.

First, Paul said, “I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the Gospel of God's grace.”  For Paul, life is not the end all.  It is a means to something higher.  And what is that - his vocation to bear witness to the Gospel, his vocation to become an apostle.  As I often said, it is important to know your purpose in life - why did God create you?  Get in touch with that because life is just a means for that purpose.  Paul can say goodbye properly because he knew what God wanted him to do and he was convinced that he has done it to the best of his ability.  That is peace.  Knowing your purpose, knowing that you have done everything for which God has made you.

Second, St. Paul said, “I served the Lord with all humility and with the tears and trials that came to me because of the plots of the Jews, and I did not at all shrink from telling you what was for your benefit.”  Paul did what he was supposed to do.  He was not dependent on what others think, on what others say.  Paul was not dependent on how others may react.  He said what he needed to say, he did what he needed to do, and what was required from him by God.  He did not shrink from his duty.  His main and overriding point of reference is God.  In effect Paul is telling us that if our lives are determined by what others think, if our lives are lived according to the opinion of friends, or to the determination of our detractors, or to how others would form opinions towards us, then it would be a difficult life, it would be a tiresome life. St. Paul is at peace when he said goodbye because in his life he only sought to please God - only God.