The Meaning of Life

Have you ever wondered what life is all about? What's the point of it all? For Catholics the short answer is Heaven. We are all called to be saints. A saint is someone who resides in Heaven. At the end of time all those who live in the company of God for all eternity will be saints. This is what paradise is all about. In the meantime, we are pilgrims here on earth. After our earthly journey we will go to Heaven. Hell, or Purgatory. The souls in Hell are destined to be there for all time. The souls in Purgatory are destined to go to Heaven; their salvation is assured. We can pray for the souls in Purgatory.

It is the earthly part of the journey that concerns us now. What must we do to go to Heaven? The answer is diseptively simple: live in the moment. This is what all saints did to perfection. They didn't concern themselves inordinately with the past. The past is in a very real way dead to us. The future is a mystery that has yet to be revealled. We must live in the moment because that is all we can control. Think about it for a second. All we can control is now. Mother Teresa did this as well as anyone. It is the one thing that all saints have in common. 

When we pray do we pray to live in the moment? Do we focus all our energies, emotions, and talents on God? Do we allow momentary setbacks and disappointments to distract us from God and our ultimate goal - Heaven? Focus is key. Prayer, the sacraments, the Church, sacred scripture, and the example of other faithful Catholics can help us keep our focus on what is truly important. This is easier said than done but think about all the spiritual aids God has given us to achieve salvation. Christ, first and foremost, died for our salvation. We must not forget that the grace of God is greater than all the spiritual aides put together. The grace of God can sustain and strengthen us on our spiritual journey no matter how difficult it may become.