Over the next several weeks I will be writing articles to explain our parish vision/mission statement: We exist to bring every person into intimacy with Christ. The purpose of the statement and the articles is to help better unite us as parish toward the same goal, a goal hopefully each one of you can agree with and will join actively in working towards it. I'll begin the series with the first two words: We exist.

Why do we exist? If we were to ask almost any person in society, why do you exist? They would probably have a hard time answering it. Some might answer something about their parents who helped brought them into being, into existence. But that is more about the how, not the why. Some might say something about the job they do, they exist to fulfill this aspect of my company. But in reality, that's their function, and anyone could be trained to do that function. So, what we do doesn't get at why we exist. Some might answer about their relationships to their family/friends- that they exist to show and give love to their family, and other people. A good and true answer, but again, doesn't really get at the why behind their existence, but rather how we should behave in our existence.

Even though many might not be able to answer the why, it such an important question to ask. Truly, every person at some point in their life will ask that question, or one like it: What's my purpose in life? What's the meaning of life? Indeed, that search is in the depth of every human heart. Many people right now are seeking answers deep down to those very same questions.

How would you answer: Why do yon exist?

It is also fascinating to think about WHY it is in the depth of EVERY human heart, which starts to get at the answer. Here's how the Catholic Church says we all should answer those questions:

Some might remember how the Baltimore Catechism, from 1885, in question 3, answers it: "God made us to show forth His goodness and to share with us His everlasting happiness in Heaven".

So very true. True with Adam and Eve, true in 1885, and still true today. And true for every human heart who ever has and ever will exist. The current Catechism of the Catholic Church echoes this in paragraph 1: "God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. (And particularly as I reminded people in my recent Christmas homily) For this reason, at every time, and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength".

THAT is why we exist- in short, we exist By God and For God. Why? Simply because our good God wanted, and still desires, for us to come to know Him and live for all eternity, in His blessed life and love. In addition, the beginning, and indeed, the entirety of our Vision Statement, We Exist to bring every person into intimacy with Christ, is a direct echo from Pope Paul VI's 1975 declaration, "The Church exists to evangelize" (Evangelii Nuntiandi). This means that every member of the Church, as a result of their baptism, through which we were purified of every stain of sin and made a beloved child of God, are called to witness to and teach all others of the love of God who made us, and saves us, so we can share in His blessed life. That is why we exist; to receive that Good News of Jesus Christ ourselves and share it with others.

Will yon join in the Mission to reach all those searching for meaning and purpose of their existence?

In the next article I will talk more about the how.

BACK TO LIST