A Letter From Our Pastor: What Is the Real Purpose of Our Lives?

My dear sisters and brothers,

Blessings to you all as we enjoy our Northwest summer. I am writing this at the beginning of June after some incredibly warm days. It is my prayer that as you read this, we will not have entered into another fire season like last year which affected so many people.

As we prepare each newsletter, Catholic Stewardship Consultants sends me ideas for what to write. I truly appreciate their efforts, but I always like to make them my own. The topic that they sent me was centered on the real purpose and meaning of our lives. What a great question to ponder.

Do you ever take time to think about your purpose in life? As a priest, I certainly do. There have been times in my life of discouragement, fear, and frustration when I thought, “What am I really supposed to do? What does God want me to do? How am I supposed to serve as my ALS continues to sap my strength?” For eons, philosophers, thinkers, theologians, writers, poets, and ordinary folks like you and I have considered these very questions.

As Catholics, we possess an incredible gift of truth — that we already know the answers to these questions!

When we consider the many facets of life in our parish community, there are so many ministries and endeavors that go beyond merely attending Mass. From our stewardship efforts, to community outreach/services such as the men’s shelter, the community kitchen, St. Vincent de Paul, and more, there are many ways in which we serve our community, sharing our God-given talents.

Yet, as we undertake these important pursuits — both within and outside of the parish — we must always remember that our ultimate goal is salvation, to be one with God forever in heaven. After all, the only reason we exist, the only reason our Church exists, is the same as the reason Jesus joined us and became a part of us here on earth — He came to save humanity.

We use the term the “Body of Christ” to describe the Church with Christ as the head. We are all parts of that body, and the parts of the body must move in the same direction as the body itself — it simply won’t function if the parts are moving in different directions. We are all in this together. This is so true for us as a parish community. We are here for and with one another with Christ as our head.

When our lives draw to an end, we will not base our success or failure on how much money we have, or whether or not we are famous. Nor will our success or failure depend upon the difference between health and sickness, or pleasure and pain, or even being nice or nasty. Rather, it will be the difference between being saved and not being saved.

I often think of my family members who have passed away, and as a priest, I deal with that issue with others on a very regular basis. I’m grateful that I was able to bury my sister Pat’s ashes at our parish cemetery as an ever-present reminder of me to pray for her. She did not much like the Catholic Church and simply wanted her ashes to be scattered. I sometimes wonder if she and so many others ever fully realized that salvation was the answer to so many of our questions in life.

Please take some time pondering and praying with the question I began with, “What is the real purpose of our lives?” We don’t need to turn to philosophers and poets to find the answer. We only need to turn to Jesus, who is the answer, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Through Him and with Him, we discover ever-anew the real purpose of our life.

Let us be good stewards of the faith that has been handed on to us. Let us be generous in sharing our time, talents, and treasure on behalf of our parish as we seek to serve and lead others to the fullness of life in Jesus Christ, the salvation of our souls.

In Christ, I love you.

Fr. Jim

Fr. Jim