Henry L. Yu, M.D.

IN this life, no matter how happy or successful or secure we are, there are just moments when we don’t know what to do or where to go.

We feel bored and dry for no reason at all; feel lonely even if we’re not alone. Sometimes, we sit down and relax or lie down and stare blankly at the ceiling.

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Then all of a sudden, out of the blue, flashes of our yesteryears come into view. We think about certain people we’ve been with, places we’ve been to, or certain events that transpired some decades or so.

We often hear or see how people change their attitudes and way of life once they have become rich and famous.

They tend to put all their wealth in their heads, forgetting the fact that as mortal beings, they don’t own anything in this world.

Not our profession, not those hectares of land, homes and condo units, cars and jewelry, and other so-called possessions or personal properties that we claim as ours.

We don’t own anything. Nothing will make sense in spite of the myriad of trophies and plaques of recognition displayed in one corner of the house.

Everything is just being loaned to us. We are all but passing visitors on a limited tourist visa. One of these days, whether we like it or not, we will all go back to where we came from as in “from ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”

Just as we didn’t bring with us anything when we were born, we also won’t be bringing with us anything when we return home.

Let this therefore be a fitting reminder to all of us, as we pray together:

“Lord, for us who are still here on earth, help us not to forget that life is too short and uncertain. Never allow fame and fortune to transform us into somebody You never designed us to be.

“Help us to stay humble by looking back and be reminded of who we were or what we went through to become what we are today.

Help us to become better as we look back to yesteryears’ glory, mystery, triumph and victory. Let Your Spirit continue to guide us in our loneliness, and in justice and service to mankind.

“Lord, we thank you for the gift of life that You continue giving us day after day. Thank you for the privilege of being alive.

“Lord, we thank you for the gift of life that you once gave to our beloved relatives and friends who have gone ahead of us into the Great Beyond. We thank you for the blessings that you bestowed upon them during their journey on this earth.

“We pray that they continue to glorify You with the life that they have lived and the way they made use of their blessings.

We lift up to You our grief and sorrow, confident that You will change our mourning into rejoicing, that our departed loved ones are now safely back home.

“Let Your perpetual light shine upon them. And may the souls of all our faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in Your peace.

“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. Amen.”