In the early centuries of the Church everyone who was going to be baptized at the Easter Vigil underwent a month-long retreat prior to baptism. This was done in honor of Christ’s 40 days in the desert before he began his public ministry. During the retreat they reflected on what they were about to do and some of the big questions of life. This practice became so popular that many of the Baptized joined the catechumens in this month-long retreat. It was this practice that evolved into the liturgical season of Lent.
Lent is certainly a good time to undertake a variety of ascetic practices to help strengthen our spiritual discipline. However, it is not just about staying busy doing good works, no matter how important that is. It is also an excellent time during which to reflect on what our faith means to us and how that is reflected in our lives. It is also a good time to reflect on the ultimate questions, often referred to the “last things”, a traditional focus of Lenten meditations. During the season of Lent, I will turn to these traditional topics in Along the Way and see where they lead us.
The ultimate question is what meaning does our life have? What is our purpose? Closely related to that is what happens to us when we die? Are we merely actors strutting about on the stage of life making a great deal of noise and fury and then are gone when our part in the play of life is over, as Shakespeare suggests? Does it matter that I exist? Does it matter that you exist? My gut reaction is to say that “Yes, it does matter that I exist!” However, that brings us to the next question, “Why does it matter?”
The response of the entire Christian tradition has been that it matters because God has created us. In creating the universe/multiverse God created an almost infinite number of possibilities and we were among those possibilities. Indeed, God created us in God’s image and likeness. Our Christian tradition tells us that God is love (1 John 4:8). At least this is the best metaphor that we have to begin to grasp the nature of God. So, we are made in the image and likeness of love. The implication of this insight is that we are called to become what God created us to be; the embodiment of love. This is the source of our meaning and purpose. Since anyone can see that we often fall short of being a manifestation of love, it is evident that our goal is to grow to be more like our creator.
How do we do this? A basic Christian understanding is that love is realized in relationship, so that even God is best understood in relationship (Trinity). Thus, we can conclude that it is through the medium of relationships that we learn to love and more clearly manifest the divine image and likeness that God created us to be. We might seek meaning in knowledge, fame, wealth, or respect, but they fall short of giving us meaning that endures. They are not love. They are not the living presence of God in our lives. So, it matters that I exist, because I can be the embodiment of creative and transforming love in the world. To the extent that I embody love, I make present in the universe the divine presence of the living God. I make the universe a better place because of it.