□ Nguyễn Trung Tây, SVD
The Thirty Fourth Sunday, Year C: Visa! Oh Visa!
I believe you are fully aware that modern society has been unable to get rid of human trafficking. In many countries, especially the third world countries, young ladies are still treated as economic goods and subject to sexual abuse. Some priests, therefore, commit to the fight against human trafficking for sexual exploitation. When the situation allows, I fly every three years to Taiwan and conduct numerous interviews with the victims. As expected, before boarding the jumbo plane to Taiwan, I am always asked by the Australian officers at the custom office to show them my US Passport and the Working Visa (4 years, expired soon on 3 December! Lord, have mercy!). After being in the sky for about four or five hours, the Qantas plane eventually touches down in Taipei International Airport. I get out of the airplane for a long queue for a tourist visa to Taiwan. But I love the Taiwan airport in all aspects. The workers at the restaurants, the employees at the duty free shops, and the officers at the visa and custom offices, they are all pleasant while doing business and dealing with the tourists. While waiting for my turn at the visa window, I aimlessly read the Chinese words at the airport and wonder about the meanings of the words. My turn eventually comes. I receive the applications from the officer and quickly fill in the visa application. Depending on the numbers of people who show up for the visa, it normally takes me about thirty minutes to be granted a tourist visa to Taiwan. Piece of cake! Life is easy! Welcome to Taiwan!
But, if going to Vietnam and the Kingdom of Cambodia, the story is very different. One of the normal ways to get the visa to these two nations is to apply for the E-visa through the internet. So, before flying, I must turn to the computer, turn on the internet (Wi-Fi), search for the websites for the instructions on how to download the visa application, and last but not least, have the MasterCard ready to pay for the visa fees… To name only a few of the many procedures that one must endure for an E-visa. And by the time I arrive at the airport, either Saigon or Siem Reap, for a documented visa, I have to join a very long queue of those tourists who enter Vietnam or Cambodia by E-visa. Oh life! Headache! Anxiety! I don’t like it. Life for me at that moment has become complicated, as complicated as the Sydney traffic that has been transformed into a spider web.
But, how about the visa to Kingdom of Heaven? Have you ever wondered what kind of visa one should apply for to reach heaven? Are you mumbling the name, Peter? Am I right? Bingo! You are correct, for Peter has been endowed with the keys to heaven. So, try your best to be friends with Peter for when you find yourself standing at the gate of heaven. You knock and Peter opens the door for you.
Or perhaps you’re thinking about Matthew 25, on that final day, when Jesus Christ returns. The king will confront people with these questions, “Did you give your neighbor food when he was hungry? Did you give him something to drink when he was thirsty? Did you welcome him when he was a stranger in your land? He was naked, did you give him clothing? He was sick, did you take care of him? He was in prison, did you visit him?” Basically, what Jesus Christ will confront us with on the final day, is related to kindness. If we are kind to our neighbors, our applications for the visa to heaven will be approved.
Nevertheless, I neither think Peter nor kindness are the visas to Kingdom of Heaven, but rather a sincere repentance. The thief who was crucified to the right of Jesus only showed his sincere repentance to the glorified King by pleading with Him, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). And that’s all it took for a criminal to be granted a visa to heaven. How easy it is for one to enter Kingdom of Heaven. We don’t have to do anything but have a change of heart, a sincere repentance-a visa which takes only a matter of a minute to fill in the application and receive the approval stamp from the King of all kings.
□ Nguyễn Trung Tây, SVD
www.nguyentrungtay.com
The Thirty Fourth Sunday, Year C: Visa! Oh Visa!
I believe you are fully aware that modern society has been unable to get rid of human trafficking. In many countries, especially the third world countries, young ladies are still treated as economic goods and subject to sexual abuse. Some priests, therefore, commit to the fight against human trafficking for sexual exploitation. When the situation allows, I fly every three years to Taiwan and conduct numerous interviews with the victims. As expected, before boarding the jumbo plane to Taiwan, I am always asked by the Australian officers at the custom office to show them my US Passport and the Working Visa (4 years, expired soon on 3 December! Lord, have mercy!). After being in the sky for about four or five hours, the Qantas plane eventually touches down in Taipei International Airport. I get out of the airplane for a long queue for a tourist visa to Taiwan. But I love the Taiwan airport in all aspects. The workers at the restaurants, the employees at the duty free shops, and the officers at the visa and custom offices, they are all pleasant while doing business and dealing with the tourists. While waiting for my turn at the visa window, I aimlessly read the Chinese words at the airport and wonder about the meanings of the words. My turn eventually comes. I receive the applications from the officer and quickly fill in the visa application. Depending on the numbers of people who show up for the visa, it normally takes me about thirty minutes to be granted a tourist visa to Taiwan. Piece of cake! Life is easy! Welcome to Taiwan!
But, if going to Vietnam and the Kingdom of Cambodia, the story is very different. One of the normal ways to get the visa to these two nations is to apply for the E-visa through the internet. So, before flying, I must turn to the computer, turn on the internet (Wi-Fi), search for the websites for the instructions on how to download the visa application, and last but not least, have the MasterCard ready to pay for the visa fees… To name only a few of the many procedures that one must endure for an E-visa. And by the time I arrive at the airport, either Saigon or Siem Reap, for a documented visa, I have to join a very long queue of those tourists who enter Vietnam or Cambodia by E-visa. Oh life! Headache! Anxiety! I don’t like it. Life for me at that moment has become complicated, as complicated as the Sydney traffic that has been transformed into a spider web.
But, how about the visa to Kingdom of Heaven? Have you ever wondered what kind of visa one should apply for to reach heaven? Are you mumbling the name, Peter? Am I right? Bingo! You are correct, for Peter has been endowed with the keys to heaven. So, try your best to be friends with Peter for when you find yourself standing at the gate of heaven. You knock and Peter opens the door for you.
Or perhaps you’re thinking about Matthew 25, on that final day, when Jesus Christ returns. The king will confront people with these questions, “Did you give your neighbor food when he was hungry? Did you give him something to drink when he was thirsty? Did you welcome him when he was a stranger in your land? He was naked, did you give him clothing? He was sick, did you take care of him? He was in prison, did you visit him?” Basically, what Jesus Christ will confront us with on the final day, is related to kindness. If we are kind to our neighbors, our applications for the visa to heaven will be approved.
Nevertheless, I neither think Peter nor kindness are the visas to Kingdom of Heaven, but rather a sincere repentance. The thief who was crucified to the right of Jesus only showed his sincere repentance to the glorified King by pleading with Him, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). And that’s all it took for a criminal to be granted a visa to heaven. How easy it is for one to enter Kingdom of Heaven. We don’t have to do anything but have a change of heart, a sincere repentance-a visa which takes only a matter of a minute to fill in the application and receive the approval stamp from the King of all kings.
□ Nguyễn Trung Tây, SVD
www.nguyentrungtay.com