Ordinary Time 15 - The World Is Our Ship, Not Our Home

 

Homily for Ordinary Time 15

July 16, 2023

The World Is Your Ship, Not Your Home

 

            Growing up, our family loved to go camping. We started out with an old canvas tent, about a hundred pounds. If it ever rained, we weren’t allowed to touch the canvas fabric, or else the water would pour through. Definitely rustic. Then we got a pop-up camper, which we had to crank to set it up and pull out the beds. But recently my parents bought an RV, complete with a TV, air conditioning, and a microwave. That’s not camping – it’s glamping (glamour camping). In my opinion, it’s a bit of overkill for something we’re going to only use for a couple days every now and then.

            But that’s the way a lot of people live their lives – overkill for things that are only temporary. St. Therese of Lisieux reminds us, “The world is your ship, not your home.” A temporary shelter like a tent should be comfortable enough, but not so comfortable that we want to live there forever, because we’re not finished our journey yet. We’re on a journey to Heaven, and this world is only our ship, not our home.

            Last week we considered St. Paul’s insights on the battle between our fallen flesh and our soul. Today, he continues the discussion with the world and its relationship to the soul.

            Like the flesh, the world is also good, but fallen. But why is the world fallen? Because human beings were supposed to be the guardians and stewards of this earth. God put Adam and Eve in the garden to take care of it, to rule it in His Name. And when we had sinned, we gave away the keys to the garden to the Evil One. Since then, as St. Paul says, “all of creation is subject to futility, groaning in labor pains.” Death, chaos, and suffering enter the world.

            And we deal with this on a regular basis. Ever been frustrated with a car breaking down, joints creaking as we get out of bed, an unexpected tax bill, your computer freezing up at the worst possible moment? We have an intuition that this isn’t how the world is supposed to work. There is a principle in the scientific world called entropy – it means that the universe tends towards chaos and disorder. Consider – is it easier to clean something or to make a mess? Judging by the state of my car, messes are far easier. So in this world that’s so full of disorder, chaos, mess, brokenness, suffering, pain…I think it’s easy enough to understand what St. Paul is saying.

            This world will never be a utopia, as much as we may try. More laws, more policies, more bumper stickers and more Instagram posts about kindness are not going to make this world perfect. Despite what the song says, we don’t build the city of God – He builds it at the end of time when all things are restored and made whole.

            Does that mean we just have to watch helplessly as the world goes to heck in a handbasket? Not at all. As Christians we are called to make the world a better place, but with an eye to eternity. Two of the greatest missionaries the Church has ever seen was Sts. Cosmas and Damien, who were brothers and doctors. They embraced Christianity and decided to bring souls to Christ in a unique way – they would offer their medical services without payment. This so shocked the people of Syria that they gained the nicknames “The Moneyless Ones” – and people were so intrigued by their lack of greed that they began to ask why. The brothers then had the opportunity to share the Gospel with them, and they gained many converts. They made this world a better place, but kept their eye on eternity.

            And there’s the key – we use this world with an eye to eternity. In Homer’s famous poem Odyssey, the character Odysseus is trying to return home after a long and trying journey. He and his men stop off at the Island of the Lotus Eaters, where the inhabitants ate the lotus flower which brought them to a state of contented apathy. Some of Odysseus’ men eat the flower, and suddenly forget any urgency in their journey. They decide to stay instead of heading home. Odysseus has to force his men back to the ship to continue their journey.

            So many Christians are so taken in with the things of this world that they forget they’re on a journey headed home. We’ve eaten the lotus flowers, and are suddenly content when we should be restless. After all, as St. Augustine said, “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”

            So what must we do? We use this world without clinging to it. Our bank accounts, our house, our job, our talents, our relationships are only good insofar as they advance us along the path to eternity.

            A high-powered lawyer named Dale Recinella and his wife had just built their dream house when they happened to step into Mass one morning. The Gospel featured Jesus saying, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” That night, he was rather disturbed and asked his wife, “Do you think Jesus really meant what He said?” They decided to pray on it, and come back in six months to reevaluate. Six months later, Dale and his wife realized that, yes, Jesus really was telling them that they had to choose between their multimillion-dollar house and His Kingdom. But they dallied and did nothing about it.

            A year later, Dale found himself mysteriously in the hospital with a high fever. A battery of tests showed that the raw oysters he consumed the night before contained a deadly flesh-eating bacteria, and the doctors told him he had twelve hours to live. That night, as he prepared for death, he fell into a coma. He recounts that he awoke in a room with Jesus Christ. Our Lord asked him, “What have you done with the gifts I have given you?” He began to be defensive, saying, “Well, I sent my kids to the best schools, and made sure my family was financially secure…” Jesus just looked at him and replied, “What about all of My people who are suffering?”

            Much to everyone’s surprise, he awoke the next morning and immediately convinced his wife to sell their dream house and to start giving their money away to charities. He began to volunteer his time ministering to prisoners on death row, bringing them the hope of Jesus Christ, which he does full-time now that he’s retired. Truly all the sufferings he had to undergo through his illness and giving up his dream life are nothing compared to the glory to be revealed when Christ restores all things in Him.

            We walk through this world, enjoying it responsibly, seeking to improve it – but not being distracted by its glitter, but rather keep moving towards eternity. After all, this world is our ship, not our home.