The year is drawing to a close while the Advent season prepares us for another new
beginning. I decided to draw some time out from the hustles during this Advent to pen down some
thoughts germinated from the reflection on my journey through the Jubilee Year of Mercy.
On the path involving consistent hard work, I wish to always reflect upon the precious inspiration drawn from the tessellated floor of Basilica of San Marco. Though my appreciation of the art of this sacred building has been limited by scanty historical knowledge, the tessellated floor has left me with a profound message. I was overwhelmed by such a beautiful delicate artwork which was formed by thousand or even million pieces of tiny marble that had been carefully cut and symmetrically arranged into a geometrical picture. Contemplating on this artwork led me into a deeper reflection on the value of maintaining the integrity and consistency in doing good work.
What I observed from San Marco Basilica was the constellation of finest works by artists over a few centuries. I believe that many of them might not have lived long enough to see the completion of the entire basilica but what made me ponder was what had been their motivation on their journeys to keep up with good work when they might not have seen the overall outcome. I imagined that some might have spent their entire life humbly laying a small part of tessellated floor. Blessed are the hands which had done good work consistently! Should none of them kept up with consistent fine work, we would never see the existence of this magnificent basilica!
There is a temptation to lose heart when long-term efforts do not seem to pay off and it might not be easy to find meaning from hard works that deemed as futile when we have yet to see the full picture. Our consistency is constantly being challenged! In this fast paced world whereby works are often judged by the parameter of successful outcome and time efficiency, the small steps of consistent efforts might not be highly valued though they are the key to success. The tessellated floor has just reminded me of these humble steps as the fundamental of great work.
Another positive thought inspired by the tessellated floor is the belief that our contribution, though too insignificant to be considered a success, might have been the blessings to many others. For instance, a doctor might not be able to pursue his career path as a consultant due to life circumstances, but the daily clinical work done with integrity throughout his entire lifetime might have been great blessings to his patients. In this Jubilee Year of Mercy, I learnt that doing good work with integrity is also a way of mercy. It has also been a great consolation for me to realise that our hard work and even the unrecognised efforts are not in vain in the perspective of eternity.
(1 Corinthians 15:58 – ‘Therefore, my beloved brothers, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.’)
In this Advent season, I have written myself a poem (A Song of Advent):
Do not lose hope, my soul, amidst fruitless seasons
Do not lose joy while going through dull humdrum days
Amidst the clouds of doubt, let us hold strong to the faith.
Remember the parable of weed and grain,
Patience stands the test of time.
On the path involving consistent hard work, I wish to always reflect upon the precious inspiration drawn from the tessellated floor of Basilica of San Marco. Though my appreciation of the art of this sacred building has been limited by scanty historical knowledge, the tessellated floor has left me with a profound message. I was overwhelmed by such a beautiful delicate artwork which was formed by thousand or even million pieces of tiny marble that had been carefully cut and symmetrically arranged into a geometrical picture. Contemplating on this artwork led me into a deeper reflection on the value of maintaining the integrity and consistency in doing good work.
What I observed from San Marco Basilica was the constellation of finest works by artists over a few centuries. I believe that many of them might not have lived long enough to see the completion of the entire basilica but what made me ponder was what had been their motivation on their journeys to keep up with good work when they might not have seen the overall outcome. I imagined that some might have spent their entire life humbly laying a small part of tessellated floor. Blessed are the hands which had done good work consistently! Should none of them kept up with consistent fine work, we would never see the existence of this magnificent basilica!
There is a temptation to lose heart when long-term efforts do not seem to pay off and it might not be easy to find meaning from hard works that deemed as futile when we have yet to see the full picture. Our consistency is constantly being challenged! In this fast paced world whereby works are often judged by the parameter of successful outcome and time efficiency, the small steps of consistent efforts might not be highly valued though they are the key to success. The tessellated floor has just reminded me of these humble steps as the fundamental of great work.
Another positive thought inspired by the tessellated floor is the belief that our contribution, though too insignificant to be considered a success, might have been the blessings to many others. For instance, a doctor might not be able to pursue his career path as a consultant due to life circumstances, but the daily clinical work done with integrity throughout his entire lifetime might have been great blessings to his patients. In this Jubilee Year of Mercy, I learnt that doing good work with integrity is also a way of mercy. It has also been a great consolation for me to realise that our hard work and even the unrecognised efforts are not in vain in the perspective of eternity.
(1 Corinthians 15:58 – ‘Therefore, my beloved brothers, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.’)
In this Advent season, I have written myself a poem (A Song of Advent):
Do not lose hope, my soul, amidst fruitless seasons
Do not lose joy while going through dull humdrum days
Amidst the clouds of doubt, let us hold strong to the faith.
Remember the parable of weed and grain,
Patience stands the test of time.
Let us continue the good work of plowing and sowing even in the season of dryness
Ignite the inner light,
We wait for the coming of Christ.
My dear friends who have read this article, I wish that you have a meaningful Christmas and Happy New Year! No matter what battles are we fighting, may we always hold on to the faith, hope and charity on our paths.
Ignite the inner light,
We wait for the coming of Christ.
My dear friends who have read this article, I wish that you have a meaningful Christmas and Happy New Year! No matter what battles are we fighting, may we always hold on to the faith, hope and charity on our paths.
