Earning heaven the hard way

5th Sunday of Easter, cycle C
Gospel: John 13:31-33,34-35

In the secular world, hard work cannot be stressed enough.  For the spiritual world can it not be the same?

Jesus earned our salvation the hard way.  In the first reading, Paul and Barnabas acknowledged enduring hardships for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.  It is through those hardships that the Christian communities were born in the pagan world.  It is also through the hardship of Church that the Good news continues to be preached to all peoples, most especially to the poor, where the glad tidings of the Lord is brought.

How about us?  How have we worked to bring about Christ's kingdom here on earth, in our families, communities, countries, and the world?  The road towards heaven is crooked and narrow, but it is worth all the effort.  There are no short cuts to bringing up a child and planting the seeds of goodness in his heart.  There is no easy road for someone to help alleviate the sufferings of the poor.  But the satisfaction for traveling such road is endless, tantamount to eternity of bliss.  All the sacrifices are nothing as compared to what is to come - our new life with and in God.