Friday, February 13, 2015

Where lies our citizenship ?

Dear Fathers, Brothers, Sisters in Christ, 


Ephesians 2:19 (KJV)  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;


The picture on the blog this evening represents the Dutch city of Maastricht and the river Maas , no doubt in wintertime. A Facebook friend of mine in Holland posted it on his blog and it drew my attention.  Holland is the country of my birth
and it is in your blood and remains so, even if you have spent most of life in New Zealand and Australia. To be truthful to the matter, it made me homesick, but then at the moment are little family are going through some trouble times. Health issues and friends from the past , who have disappointed me deeply. We are also 
without immediate family because they shifted to the state of Tasmania. 

The way we feel at the moment is that we could do with the visit of a large group of friends. 

Emmigration is good for many people, not all of them and I guess I am in the latter category. I have never found it easy to leave my home country and live in different places , but have made the best of it. I also realize that if one looks back to the old country, then the saying " the grass is always greener on the other side " does apply. 
I had the opportunity to have a working holiday in Britain , spent some time in Great Chart near Ashford Kent and a number of years in Brighton , Sussex. I loved it and miss it , but again that famous saying about the grass apply. 

As a Priest and Catholic Christian I realize our citizenship here on earth is very temporary and that we can look forward to be a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven and be in that Eternal city of Jerusalem. That is, in times of despair and hardship and indecision a great comfort. 

I pray that our current family situation may change for the better and God will answer our prayers, but we look forward to the life to come to be with our Blessed Lord Jesus for ever and ever, where indeed sorry and pain shall be no more. 

Amen. 

Father Ed Bakker 
Anglican Catholic Church / Original Province 
Mission of Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne 
Bendigo, Australia