Episode 1814: Do we really think about Eternity as Eternal?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

We hear that scripture verse so often that we tend to say yah, yah, yah, I know he loves us a lot.

But wait, think about what eternity really means and can we as humans really understand eternity. I remember a priest trying to explain to us as kids and he said. Like a dove scrapping its wing against the earth from high above every thousand years and as he does a molecule of the earth is removed. How long would it take that dove to completely remove the earth?

But as we grow older, we lose not only our child-like faith but our true feeling and understanding of the faith. We grow weary in life and consumed by all that is around us and then we just live a humanistic life with little to no real care for our eternal life.
If someone came to us and said, if you work for me for 30 years, I will guarantee you a monthly pension after retirement equal to your annual income you’d say “I’m In” and you’d show up everyday at that job without waiver because the future reward is so worth it. But stop and think about it. Let's say you retire at 65 and the average life expectancy is 85 then you got 20 years comfort for let's say 45 years of labor.
But if I said practice and live your faith as Christ commanded it and you will get unlimited benefits after you die you’d say “Well that’s nice”. You’d have little to know real discernable interest. Why? Why do we as humans truly not believe totally in eternal life? Because we don’t understand eternity. It is outside of our mind to comprehend but we can fully understand our earthly life because it is tangible and right in front of us everyday.

So that leads to a very real question. Do you really believe in Christ? I mean really believe in him and if you say yes then when he said “that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Do we really believe it? If you say Walt, I absolutely believe it! Then I ask, how are you living it?

By the way I am pointing that finger directly back at myself.

I say well I am doing all I can to make Christ my center everyday in every way. But I feel like I am not doing enough. I feel like if that pension plan is going to pay me back with eternity am I really paying in enough with my time and attention or am I mailing it in. I must tell you I feel like I am mailing it in.

You’d say Jeez Walt don’t get overly scrupulous your are doing the best as you can. My response would be “Really am I”. I mean we can all only look internally to know if we are really living for eternity. We can’t fool Christ.

Every day I provide the lives of the saints but I am doing nothing with my life for Christ as they did.

We hear many times where Christ speaks about this and we must remember that Christ only had a 3 year ministry on earth and so do we think he didn’t say anything without purpose? I mean ever word he uttered was uttered to guide his Catholic Faithful until the end of time. His mystical body the Catholic Church.

Let's go through some of them.
John 5:24
"Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life."

John 6:40
"For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."

John 10:28
"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand."

John 17:3
"Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

So lets put on our Saints mind for a minute and just do a deep dive into this one passage.
Knowledge and Relationship with God: The emphasis is on a deep and personal knowledge of God, not just intellectual awareness but a profound relationship. Eternal life is seen as communion with the Father and the Son.

Triune God: The verse underscores the doctrine of the Trinity knowing the Father and Jesus Christ, whom the Father sent. The Trinity is central to Christian theology, and this verse highlights the relationship between the Father and the Son.

Eternal Life as a Present Reality: The Catholic interpretation often stresses that eternal life is not just a future state after death but a present reality for believers. This life is rooted in a living relationship with God through Christ.

Salvation Through Christ: Jesus presents Himself as the means by which people come to know God. Salvation, in the Catholic understanding, comes through faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior and the Son of God.

The Role of Prayer: The context of this verse being part of Jesus' prayer emphasizes the importance of prayer in the Christian life. Prayer is a means by which believers can deepen their knowledge and relationship with God.

You know me, if I want to be a saint I always consult my top favorite saints.

While the interpretation of biblical passages can vary among different saints, several great saints have offered insights and reflections on John 17:3. Here are a few examples:

St. Augustine (354–430):
St. Augustine, a prominent theologian and bishop, often emphasized the importance of knowing God in his writings. He would likely have viewed John 17:3 as an invitation to a deep, personal knowledge of God as the ultimate source of eternal life. Augustine's theological reflections often centered around the themes of love and the soul's longing for God.

St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274):
St. Thomas Aquinas, a Doctor of the Church, might have approached John 17:3 from a philosophical and theological perspective. He often integrated Aristotelian philosophy with Christian theology. Aquinas would likely have seen the passage as emphasizing the intellectual and relational aspects of knowing God as foundational to eternal life.

St. Teresa of Avila (1515–1582):
St. Teresa of Avila, a mystic and Doctor of the Church, focused extensively on the interior life and prayer. She might have interpreted John 17:3 in the context of contemplative prayer and the transformative experience of union with God. For her, knowing God would involve a profound mystical encounter and a journey through the "Interior Castle" of the soul.

St. John of the Cross (1542–1591):
St. John of the Cross, a Spanish mystic and Doctor of the Church, emphasized the "dark night of the soul" as a purification process leading to union with God. He might have seen John 17:3 as an acknowledgment of the transformative journey towards deep knowledge and union with the divine.

St. Therese of Lisieux (1873–1897):
St. Therese, also known as the Little Flower, is known for her "Little Way" of spirituality. She might have approached John 17:3 with a childlike simplicity, viewing it as an invitation to trust and love God intimately. Her emphasis on the "little things" in life as expressions of love could align with the idea of knowing God in the ordinary moments.

So eternal or eternity maybe way outside of our human minds to grasp but as our faith is and as our faith grows we are called to be very humble and say to ourselves everyday “Speak Lord for your servant is listening, give me the strength to live out your words and give me eternal life”.
Now go out and convert somebody to eternity. Good Day!

Now lets listen to the good father.