Hit the Road Jack!

One thing I learned growing up in my family is that a road trip is never out of a question!  Traveling with my family by car to California, Texas, Florida, DC, Canada, and everywhere in between I saw most of the US through the back of our family mini-van.  One of the crucial aspects to the trip was always making sure we had our trusted Atlas!  It helped up navigate through the various states along with tracking the roadways and possible future exits for our stops!

After living in 10 different locations over 12 years, I've come to realize that my life has been quite a journey!  But it's not something new to the Christian faithful!  The early Christian Father's would write about how our life was a journey, from this world to the next.  Our destination was not earth, but of heaven with God. 

Each of the Sunday readings deal with this fact: We are made to be with God in heaven and not on earth and live solely for this earth, you are not living at all!

The first reading gives us the line "Vanity of Vanities" (Eccl 1:2).  Why? Because unless it's for God, then it is all worthless and vain.  It's worthless because it's not getting us to our destination.  St. Paul asks the people to know their ultimate destination; "seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God" (Col 3:1).  And finally, the harshness of the Lord in the parable, "‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ (Luke 12:20). 

The first reading and the Gospel warn us about living for this world, while St. Paul gives us the answer: Seek your end, seek the Lord!  And so we are encouraged to solidify our destination.  The question then needs to be asked: Am I actually living for my destination to be with God?  What steps am I taking to get there?  What is my Atlas to get me there?

We need to ask these questions because if we don't make active steps to achieve our end, we can never get there!  If I wanted to take a vacation, it's not until I make the decision of where I want to go, before I could set out to get there.  It's only when I decide to go to Cancun for vacation, that I can start saving money and making accommodations to get there (aka plane ticket, hotel, local commute).  It's no different in our spiritual life. 

It's time to make the relationship with the Lord our end, and start making an effort to get there!  Seeking the Lord in word and Sacrament.  Looking at our great Atlas with the richness of the Catholic Tradition!