Regardless of politics, Oliver Wendell Holmes is widely regarded as one of the most influential people to ever sit on the Supreme Court. Besides writing the decision for many landmark cases, he’s also the oldest person to ever sit in the Supreme Court. He died at the age of 93, just two years after retiring from the court shortly after his inauguration.
President Roosevelt went to visit Oliver Holmes in his home for his 92nd birthday. President Roosevelt was surprised to find Judge Holmes reading Plato in his spare time. So he asked him, why do you read Plato Mr. Justice? Equally as surprised by the question, judge Holmes respond. To improve my mind, Mr.
President, a few months before his death, judge Holmes gave one final interview to a national newspaper in 1935. In the interview, he quoted his own translation of a poem. That was originally published 1500 years ago. Death Plucks my ears and says, live for, I’m coming. In the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon, who lived a life full of wealth and excess reflects on the meaning of life.
He begins by expressing a sentiment that most people will agree with, apart from God. Life is largely meaningless and it’s unnecessarily hard. But in the end, Solomon has a word of wisdom for the living. There is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live, that everyone may eat and drink and find satisfaction in his toil, and that is the gift of God.
I find it striking that these men come to the same conclusion that life and death. Are two sides of the same coin. The meaning of life is simple, live because death is coming. That is the gift of God.
You’ve been listening to everyday Miracles by hope, mindfulness, and prayer.
In the year 1818, a 26-year-old Catholic priest by the name of Joseph Moore was preparing for the Christmas Eve service at his church in the Austrian Alps. And while cleaning up the church in preparation, he found out that his organ had broken. This was not good. I mean, here’s this young guy that is probably new to this church.
If you’ve ever gone through art history class, you’re probably familiar with a painting called The Light of the World. It was painted by the British artist Holman Hunt, and hangs in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. It’s one of the most iconic religious paintings in history. The painting depicts Jesus standing outside of a small, dilapidated cottage.
I was recently listening to the U2 album, all that you Can’t Leave Behind, and I came across a song called Grace. The lyrics say this, grace takes the blame, covers the shame, removes the stain, but once was hurt, but once was friction. What left a mark? No longer stings because grace makes beauty out of ugly things.
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