OUR junior high kids in the Religious Education program were in high spirits when I visited them in their class last Sunday. Three students took turns responding to their teacher’s question about our purpose in life.
One student answered, “Our purpose in life is to be happy!” Another said, “God created us to love and serve him.” A third student responded, “Our purpose is to live!”
I pondered for a while on this last student’s answer. Was it too worldly, devoid of any religious tone? I asked myself. Then I realized that it was not so as I thought of St. Irenaeus’ famous phrase, “The glory of God is a man fully alive.”
Indeed, our purpose is to live life to the fullest as God intended us to do. And so we must lead one’s life doing our best to enjoy it, to find one’s vocation, to find meaning and fulfillment in it. For as we always remind ourselves, we only live once.
With this thought, I reminded the students that it’s good to enjoy life and to be happy. Still, happiness is not just based on having pleasures and material things and thinking of oneself. It’s also based on helping others and making a difference in people’s lives and the world. It’s also found in building beautiful and meaningful relationships, such as marriage, family, and friendships.
“But what do we do when a marriage fails, and family shatters? When promises are broken, and one’s dream or ambition is not fulfilled? When a loved one gets cancer and dies?” some students may ask.
“What do we do when we can’t help someone in need because this person’s problem is too complex or has more to do with society’s big problems?” others may ask.
Well, that’s when the genius of our Christian faith and tradition comes. That’s when the words of Jesus would guide and enlighten us: “If you want to be my disciple, you must take up your cross and follow me.” (Matthew 15:24)
That’s when we look beyond life in this world—the eternal life promised to us all where there is no more pain and suffering, no more tears and death. That’s when we can rise above our fears and tragedies because of the Spirit and Life that Jesus gives to those who remain steadfast and faithful to him.
Sometimes there are no easy answers to life’s pains and mysteries. But one thing remains: God is “not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive!” (Luke 20:38)
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Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.