The Fullness of Life
By Fr. Florentino S. Lim, CIHM

Quality of Life

Among God’s manifold gifts, life is the fundamental and most cherished one. For without life it is impossible for anyone to receive even the humblest gift. We so cherish it that we are willing to give up all our treasures just to preserve it.

But sometimes, out of folly, we undervalue it, mismanage or even abuse it. And at other times we allow life itself to deceive us, for life can be very deceiving.

For the young who still experiences life’s vigor, the tendency is to think, “well, I’m still young, no hurry. I might as well enjoy life to the full.” And usually the idea of enjoying life to the full does not correspond with making the most of life, or with fullness of life; and certainly not with quality of life. Enjoying life to the full can mean filling one’s life with indiscriminate exposures. The usual intention is often to enjoy a carefree, pleasure-seeking lifestyle. Unfortunately, such an irresponsible approach to life often ends up in disaster. Many promising young people are ruined either by drug addiction or sexual abuse, or other vices in their wanton abandonment to pleasures and the “thrills of the moment.”

Others, on the other hand, have wasted the very essence of life through their indecisions and procrastinations. They have failed to grab the opportunities that were repeatedly offered to them to improve themselves and their lot in their failure to value their time, health and other resources. Life has deceived them, giving them the illusion that time and other resources are inexhaustible. Stealthily, time robs them of their health and their wit, and before long they are too feeble both in body and mind to do anything creative or even to do the few necessary things which they could have done to make their lives worth living—a life lived with quality.

Still others are deceived by the false promises of this earthly life. Some have failed to live life as it should be lived because of their commitment to accumulate material wealth or to achieve honor and distinction in this world. But this world can never promise lasting honor and glory; and it cannot prolong life indefinitely. Sooner or later death comes in uninvited through old age, sickness or accident—and all the earthly wealth and glory must be left behind. No wonder, Jesus, our Lord, had to pose this question: “For what does it profit man, if he gain the whole world, but suffer the loss of his own soul?”  (Mk. 8:36)

What then is “quality life” – or how should life be lived with that dignity and quality, in which the Author of Life has intended to be? To answer substantially this question it is helpful for us to consider some basic Christian anthropology, or the proper understanding of the human person, which will be simply treated in our future reflections. Suffice for the moment to state that the human person’s most exalted vocation can only be discovered in the person of Jesus Christ who is God and perfect man. Consequently, our true fulfillment and the quality of our life can only be realized in following Him.

A precious heritage which generations of earlier Christians have handed down to our time, is a systematic method of reflecting and contemplating on the mysteries of the life of Jesus Christ. And appropriately, these generations of Christians had elected no other than Mary, the Mother of the Lord, as guide and companion in meditating upon the sublime mysteries of the holy rosary. In her Canticle, which is being sung by every generations of Christians, we are moved with conviction that here is a person who had lived the fullness of life and with a quality that is most sublime. The Canticle of Mary goes:

My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

My spirit finds joy in God my savior,

For he has looked upon his servant in her lowliness;

All ages to come shall call me blessed.

God who is mighty has done great things to me,

Holy is his name;

His mercy is from age to age on those who fear him.

(Luke 1:46-50)