Ordinary Time 12
June 19, 2016
Eye on the Prize
New York Times journalist Tim
Sanders spends an inordinate amount of time in airports. Many of his
assignments have him flying across the country two or three times each week.
With so many hours logged on planes, Tim began to notice that many of his
fellow passengers were terrified of air travel. So, Tim began an experiment.
Whenever
he would be sitting next to someone who looked nervous or uncomfortable on a
flight, he would immediately strike up a conversation and ask them about their
destination. Where were they going? Who were they going to see? What were they
going to do? He found that when passengers were focused, not on the flight, but
on the destination, their demeanor calmed down, they stopped scowling and
started smiling, and they began to enjoy the flight.
When we
focus on our destination, it makes the traveling much more pleasant. That’s
true when we have a long drive to make, and it’s true on the pilgrimage of
life. When we remember what our destination is – eternal life with God – then
the drudgery of this world becomes bearable, even sweet!
Jesus
tells us to take up our Cross and follow Him. But why do we do this? Because of
the goal – union with Him in Heaven. The crosses of life – whether it’s an
illness or caring for a loved one, financial trouble or family trouble, or just
the everyday bumps and bruises of life – they have a way of purifying us,
burning away the sin and selfishness so that we can become truly holy. Wisdom
and holiness is never found in someone who has not been tried in the crucible
of suffering.
Of
course, most of us fear suffering. A couple months ago, I was speaking with a
much older priest who was preparing for retirement, and he said to me, “At this
point in my life, I just want everything to be easy!” I think that’s a common
sentiment – why can’t life be convenient, easy, always sweet and delightful?
Because
if life were perfect, we would never trust in God. If life were perfect, we
would never grow in virtue. If life were perfect, we would never learn wisdom.
If life were perfect, we would never have the opportunity to practice heroic,
sacrificial love.
But when
we are suffering, it helps to remember the goal. Jesus’ desire is for us to
experience abundant life – to know His love, to be transformed by grace, to
live as new men and women. “He who loses his life for the Lord’s sake will find
it” – Christ wants us to experience abundant life. But a truly abundant life is
not one where everything’s easy, but one in which we have learned and grown
through suffering, by taking up our crosses in humility and trust in God.
The
saints certainly knew this truth. I think of the example of St. Aloysius
Gonzaga, who was born to a wealthy, noble family in Italy in the 1500s. He had
every pleasure in life – rich food, servants, the finest clothes. He lived in
castles and had everything money could buy. But he knew there had to be
something deeper out there, so as a teen, he began to slowly give it up – he
started wearing the simple clothes of the peasants, refusing to eat the rich
foods at his table, and even sleeping on the floor as a sign of penance! He
decided to become a priest and take a vow of poverty, much to his father’s
dismay, who wanted him to continue living the nobleman lifestyle. After much
persuasion, his father gave Aloysius permission at age 17 to become a Jesuit
priest. He died at the young age of 24 after nursing plague victims during an
outbreak. He gave up his whole life – and in doing so, became truly alive. He embraced
the Cross, and found joy.
All
because he kept his eye on the prize: union with Christ and the eternal prize
of Heaven.
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