What is the Purpose of Life?

 

What is the Purpose of my Life?

When life has purpose it makes life meaningful and worth living.



Reflection on Today’s Readings, Saturday of 30th Week in Ordinary Time, Year II, October 29th, 2022
Texts: Philippians 1:18b-26; Psalm 42:2.3.5; Luke 14:1.7-11

St. Paul makes us ask the question, “What is the purpose of my life?” It is what we have chosen as the purpose of our lives that gives us joy. This happened to St. Paul. He says, “Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I shall rejoice.” For St. Paul, to live is to proclaim Christ. In his words: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me.” When life has purpose it makes life meaningful and worth living.

St. Paul reminds us that the purpose of our lives should be Christ. That is what he means when he says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:1-2). We can say to live is Christ when we delight in keeping His words.

Death is a again, a way of being with the Lord.

St. Paul also has a positive look on death. For him, death is a again, a way of being with the Lord. This is not true about him alone, it is also true about us. The death is for us a gain, a way of being with the Lord. For St. Paul the love of Christ is stronger than fear of death. It is in Christ Jesus that the words of the psalm come true: “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you” (63:3). It should also be the same for us: the love of Christ should be stronger than fear of death.

Jesus Christ teaches us in today's gospel reading not to over rate ourselves. We should not consider ourselves better than the other but rather thank God for His grace. Whatever we have comes to us by grace. Since it is the grace of God we enjoy, we have no reason to be proud or assume self-importance. We should always live humbly before God and man.

God our Father, grant that we may live a purposeful life and we beg You to bring our path and purpose to a fruitful end. Amen

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke