Jesus gives us a tall order in the Gospel today: “Be merciful … Stop judging … Stop condemning … Forgive … Give …” (Lk. 6:36-38). Well, ok, mercy, acceptance, understanding, forgiveness, generosity — we know that practicing these things in our daily lives is part of being Christian. And we all try our best to be good Christians, right?
But doing those things all the time is hard! And if you’re at all like me, sometimes all the things we need to “do” in order to be faithful disciples of Christ, add up, and it seems like you just can’t get ahead or make any progress. Failure becomes a familiar face and it’s hard not to get overwhelmed or discouraged. Becoming tired of striving every day to walk the straight and narrow, we cry out with the psalmist, “When will I come to the end of my pilgrimage and enter the presence of God?”[1]
And yet, if we can approach this with detachment from the world and a longing to be with God, it is exactly the attitude we should have here on earth. It is only when we forget that this life is not the goal, but only a pilgrimage to a forever-union with God, that we leave ourselves open to discouragement, worldliness, and sin.
Is it hard to be a Christian in the world? Yes. Are there struggles and trials and suffering in this life? Absolutely. Should we be so focused on eternity that we take no joy in our earthly lives, only considering this present time a “vale of tears”? Not at all! We were created for love, for communion with God and others, and with an incredible capacity to receive and respond to all the beauty and goodness around us. That is all cause for great rejoicing! We can and should take joy in this world and all the beauty it holds, as long as we remain aware that it is only a reflection of the timeless beauty of the Lord.
The key is to keep our eyes on eternity, and our feet in the now. If at each moment in time, we could all remember that we are not made for this world but are destined to live eternally, how differently would we live our lives here? What daily decisions and attitudes would change?
The now matters because it reveals how we want to live forever — with God or apart from Him. Each moment is simply a glimpse of our free will in action. God gifts us with everything we need and more, and we respond, one way or the other. If we respond with our eyes fixed on eternity, then those things we’re supposed to “do” as good Christians become a lot less overwhelming.
Lent has only just begun; let’s tackle week two head-on by encountering the Lord and allowing Him to get us back on track and remind us of our goal. Confession and Eucharistic Adoration in particular are great ways to spiritually recharge. And let’s ask Him what things, people, or situations we need to be less attached to, and for the grace to remain joyful, even amidst our struggles.
[1] Lenten Antiphon, Morning Prayer, Liturgy of the Hours, Vol.II, p. 1241.
