“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.”- St. Augustine of Hippo
One of the highlights of today’s homily are these words:
“To understand LIFE, you have to visit three locations:
1. The Hospital
2. The Prison
3. The CemeteryAt the Hospital, you will understand that nothing is more beautiful than health. In Prison, you’ll see that freedom is the most precious thing. At the Cemetery, you will realize that life is worth nothing, the ground we walk today will be our roof tomorrow.”
When I went home to take care of my brother three weeks ago, I set aside an hour visiting our beloved dead at the cemetery with my cousin before going to the hospital. Since I seldom take a vacation during All Saints and All Souls Days, I make it a point to light candles and offer prayers in front of their graves every time I go home. There is always that nostalgic feeling, remembrance of old days when my dad, my youngest brother, grandparents, aunties and uncles and some close relatives were still alive. Their graves are near each other.
In the hospital when you’re passing by the halls, you’ll see all kinds of reaction from people looking so sorrowful and staring in one direction, people texting or those who spent the night sleeping along the corridors waiting. I haven’t tried visiting a prison yet but some years ago, I went with my high school classmates to visit a former schoolmate at the National Center for Mental Health where patients are like prisoners caged in open (with grills of course) rooms with several beds adjacent to each other.
It is quite depressing sometimes to be able to see hospital patients and those in the mental hospital. And yes, health is one commodity that makes us rich in life even without those material trappings. Good health is not something you can buy.
I’d like to end up this post with these words.
“Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend.”
―
Dreams And Escapes 
“To understand LIFE, you have to visit three locations:
1. The Hospital
2. The Prison
3. The Cemetery
At the Hospital, you will understand that nothing is more beautiful than health. In Prison, you’ll see that freedom is the most precious thing. At the Cemetery, you will realize that life is worth nothing, the ground we walk today will be our roof tomorrow.”
This is profound and very moving.
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Indeed it is Cindy. Thanks for commenting.
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“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.”- St. Augustine of Hippo – one of my favorites, Arlene! 🙂
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Wow!
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That’s a great quote, Arlene. And I have to say that Augustine of Hippo is a great name too! I would love to be called that! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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St. Augustine – was the bishop of Hippo (now Annaba, Algeria) from 396 to 430. A renowned theologian and prolific writer, he was also a skilled preacher and rhetorician. He is one of the Latin Fathers of the Church and, in Roman Catholicism, is formally recognized as a doctor of the church. Thanks Pete.
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