June 12, 2026
— Ferdinand Verbiest · Source: Jiaoyao xulun (An Introduction to the Essentials of the Doctrine, 1670)
1 Chronicles 29:15 We are strangers and sojourners before you, just as our ancestors were. Our days on earth are like a shadow, they will not last.
We often mistake a temporary stay for a permanent home, relentlessly chasing after fleeting fame and wealth that we cannot take with us. As the scriptures say, life is but a fleeting shadow. This passage reminds me not to be bound by immediate gains and losses and anxieties, but to face the world with the detached mindset of a "stranger." By turning our gaze to eternity, and in our limited years bearing the fruit of love and accumulating heavenly treasures, we can live a life of true richness and great peace.
Merciful God, thank you for awakening my heart from its worldly slumber through the scriptures. In this fleeting life, like a shadow, grant me the wisdom of a sojourner, unmoved by earthly glory, and undeterred by temporary suffering. Strengthen my faith, guide me to practice your commandments daily, to do good in my life, and to keep my mind and thoughts fixed on the eternal heavenly home. May my soul find true rest and satisfaction in your love. Amen.