LET’S see to it that we are always aware of life’s real business, the only one thing necessary in life. (cfr Lk 10,42) We should know how to cruise the ocean of life that many times can get turbulent and threatening. Let’s try to avoid getting confused and lost in the drama of life.
That business is none other than the salvation of our souls. Said in other words, it is about conforming ourselves to be what God wants us to be — his image and likeness, his children in Christ who is the pattern of our humanity and the redeemer of our damaged humanity. It’s about loving God and others.
This should be the constant context of all that we do here on earth. All our work, the exercise of our freedom and creativity, all the events and circumstances of our life, whether good or bad according to our human standards, should be viewed in this context. Short of this, we would just be going in circles in life if not expose ourselves to all sorts of dangers and anomalies.
This does not mean that we should only be thinking of our eternal salvation by completely neglecting our earthly and temporal duties. Not at all! In fact, our eternal salvation depends on how we “perform” in our earthly concerns. We have to know how to make an organic link between the here-and-now and the life beyond death.
We need to remember that our life here on earth is actually the testing ground for us if we too want what God wants us to be. We have been made free and responsible by God, and he does not want to impose that will of his on us. We have to correspond to it freely and responsibly.
That’s why we have been placed first here on earth and not immediately in heaven where we, as God’s image and likeness, came from and where we properly belong. It is for us to be tested.
We should therefore avoid the two extremes of being too other-worldly at the expense of our worldly affairs, on the one hand, and on the other, of being too worldly at the expense of our eternal destination. Of the latter, Christ said: “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul.” (Mk 8,36)
We have to always think both in terms of time and eternity that involves the material and spiritual aspects of our life. Our mind and heart should be both in heaven and on earth, not one or the other. This is always possible because of the spiritual character of our nature and also because of God’s grace that is given to us abundantly.
We have to know how Christ is present in all the events of our life. Not only that. We also have to know what Christ is showing or telling us in every moment. He is actually always intervening in our life.
This will require of us an abiding presence of God that is supported by concrete acts of piety like mental prayer, gospel reading, recourse to the sacraments, etc. We have to learn how to be recollected and contemplative even while in the middle of our busy active life.
With Christ, everything would have meaning. Even our human failures would acquire some saving value. Irrespective of how our life runs, with Christ everything will always end with victory even if we have to go through a lot of suffering.
Christ already reassured us of this when he said: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16,33) So let us just be game in this life as we go through the business of cooperating in our own salvation and the whole of mankind through all the events and circumstances of life here on earth.
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Fr. Roy Cimagala is the Chaplain of the Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise, Talamban, Cebu City (roycimagala@gmail.com)/PN
