Jesus God Prayer Ten Commandments Redemptorist Priest Paul Pang

Reflections

30th May, 2008

" Why did God make you? "

I asked a group of altar boys, “ Why are you here? ”

They said, “ We are here to serve at the Benediction. ”

“ No, I do not mean that. I meant, why are you here in this world? Why did God make you? ”

“ We don’t know. ” they replied.

Many people today do not know the real purpose of their lives. They are at risk. Many exist merely to advance their biological-vegetative life. They do not really live as Jesus wants them to live. They merely vegetate. Perhaps we can describe them as “Health Cranks” who are concerned only for their body beautiful. Nothing else. They exercise in the gym, take all kinds of health supplements and flourish like…well like well formed grown cabbages.

Many search only for the satisfaction of their bodily sense desires, regardless of whether such satisfactions are in accord with the right reason or in harmony with God’s plan for the use of these God-created sense desires. These are the gluttons who dig their own graves with their teeth, the drunkards who drown themselves in alcohol, those who have no control over their God given sexual desires but are controlled by their cravings. These also do not really live but they only lust. Just as there are cabbages which only vegetate, so there are also those who live on the level of the animals who only lust.

Then there are those who live only in their heads. They only think. They are brainy people. I am awed by their brains but I do not find such people very attractive, who should be living a little below the level of their brains…from their hearts. Just as there are cabbages and animals so those who live only in their heads, well you call them nerds! Those who live merely as cabbages, animals and nerds have not found the REAL PURPOSE of their lives. God made us to be more than cabbages, animals or nerds. He made us to be LOVERS, filled with the Holy Spirit so that we can cry out “Abba. Father” and “Jesus is Lord”. As sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father we can love one another as brothers and sisters as Jesus loves us:

“This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you.” Jn 15: 12

St Augustine said: “ To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances; to seek Him the greatest adventure ”. Lovers of God are the saints, like St Maria Goretti, St Alphonsus Liguori, St Ignatius Loyola, St Francis of Assisi, St Maximilian Kolbe, the Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta and the parents of St Therese of Lisieux : the Venerable Louis and Zelie Martin whose cause for canonization has been introduced.

Who says (our) religion is boring?

Father Paul Pang CSSR