The day you start to die is the day you are born.

Here is a very old post that I have once written before. I thought of sharing it once again.

The day you start to die is the day you are born

I read this post on my Wall on Facebook. It was written by Manvir, a close and good friend.

If you read this phrase at a glance, you will probably try to think hard of it, but after awhile you will just say "Nah!" and probably forget about it. This phrase some how has a very deep meaning. It has an abstract meaning to it which not many will actually ponder on; and I am not saying that I am, I am just saying that this phrase, is food for the soul.

To be born; if you look at a person's life in overall, you would either say that he lived his life or otherwise. When a person lives his life, it means that he had enjoyed his life, he lived a good man, helping others, loving others and of course treasuring life as a something so precious that not even gold can buy.

Die, in this probably doesn't mean literally dying but rather when a person knows that something is going to end like his life, or something that he is enjoying now. To die, is to lose something very dear, something precious. In this case, to die is to live behind the things you treasure most, like your experiences, your knowledge but most of all your loved ones.

The day you start to die is the day you are born is the day where you wake up to reality and face life in the face and realize that life has much more to offer than just to exist on this Earth. When we die we will have an epiphany that we have such a short time on Earth, so why waste it? Why exist when we can live? Why be depressed when we can live life to the fullest?

When we die we get the sudden realization that we have not enjoyed every moment of this life we have. There was once this man, he loved his family a lot but he was also a a man who travels, a man of the business. He was always busy, he was rich, and he never actually had quality time to spend with his family. Then one day, he felt this pain in his chest, he went to get it diagnosed - it was a tumour. He had only 8 months left to live. He was such a shock. Then he took what was meant to be the biggest step of his life, he quit his job. He wasn't afraid, but most of all he wasn't scared to die. His family all cried for him, they mourned his short time on earth, but he said to them, not to mourn, because life is too short- enjoy it, live it. So, in that short months he lived his life to the fullest; he loved deeper, he laughed more, he went bungee jumping, he learnt to ride a horse, he went to pick up ballroom dancing and he started playing the banjo. His last words were, that even though he did not spend enough time with his family, but in these last few months he really did spend quality time with them, and most of all he loved his life and had no regrets.

So that's it. One must cherish life and every moment we have on this earth and not to waste it. Still in a maze about this phrase? Don't worry, it will come to you one day.

Something straight from the Book.

Just last week I attended a camp organised by the Penang Diocesan Campus Ministry, after the closing Mass which was also the Sunday Mass on Saturday evening, a group of us went out to a local 'coffee shop' and hung out. Not long after spending some time togther, Father David Reegan a Capuchin Priest joined us. It was rather interesting and very insightful to have a Capuchin Priest who's "specialty" is the Sacred Scriptures.

My gosh! 

He has the Bible at the tip of his fingers!

Not only he can quote it rather well, but he can explain it thoroughly and the meaning behind it.

For example during his sermon Fr. Reegan explained briefly the Gospel on that Sunday, it was the Gospel of John chapter 21. Jesus asked Peter three times "Do you love me?", to that Peter answered "You know that I love you" three times too; well Fr. Reegan taught us a whole new thing: that when Peter said love it was actually "like". The "like" meaning that Peter cannot love as how Jesus did and that was the love of "agape" a Greek word meaning unconditional love. So, Peter who was the man who Jesus asked to look after his sheep, himself couldn't love Jesus full-heartedly because he was afraid and also a man.

Well, during the "makan" session with him, a friend of mine from another university asked Father, how can we make our Catholic gatherings sustainable and another also asked how do we make our Catholic societies a little more stronger.

To that Fr. DR said this verse from the Bible:

Acts 2:42

It was a simple as that he said. The one thing that all Catholic societies or bodies need to do in order to last and to be established is:

1. Follow the teachings of the Apostles (and also the Church. Learning and sharing together about stuff like faith-knowledge, social issues and perhaps also Catholic living)
2. Fellowship (as in "makan-makan" together, hanging out)
3. Breaking of Bread (attending Mass)
4. Prayer (speaking to God)

He continued, just do this four things and the result is, well, look at the Church now; lasting over hundreds of centuries.

A simple advice and a deep and well needed one.

Thanks Father DR, it gave me some time to think about my own Catholic Society.

Check out:

the paragraph of the Bible verse here and also check out Lumen Gentium (a Vatican II document) paragraph 13.