Joseph Cardijn gave us “three truths.” How about a parable?

Three fundamental truths dominate and illuminate the problem of our struggles here on Earth and what we are trying to learn to bring about the kingdom of God. For Cardijn, the three truths inspire, explain, and guide us toward the solution using the JOC method of See-Judge-Act.

1. A truth of faith. The eternal and temporal destiny of each young worker in particular and of all the young workers in general.

2. A truth of experience. The terrible contradiction which exists between the real state of the young workers and this eternal and temporal destiny.”

3. A truth of pastoral practice or method. The necessity of a Catholic organization of young workers with a view to the conquest of their eternal and temporal destiny.”

Now, we can easily substitute the words “young” or “workers” or both with any classification or social group we want, and the message remains universally applicable, including all of us in this spiritual journey.

Cardijn wrote: “We must not look for something external to working youth. No solution can be found in the clergy, in the parents, in schoolmasters, in employers, in public authorities. All these may and must help; but they cannot take the place of the young workers. This is their own affair. Nor can we expect a solution from the transformation of professional, economic or political regimes. These may either be an obstacle or a help. But the most ideal regime is not sufficient. We want men and women, we want human action, human conquest.”

The question is, why are we here on this planet? What are we doing about why we are here on this planet? Do we understand the meaning of the Kingdom of God/Heaven?

Well, obviously, we are not understanding or getting the message all that well. All we have to do is look in a mirror and look around us, and what do we see?

So What Is the Purpose of Life?

Is it about “us” or is it about the “we” and do we know the difference?

The odds against our existence as we see it on this planet are, quite literally, unimaginable. Thanks to a cosmic miracle that we don’t fully appreciate, we are here, inviting us to contemplate the profound mystery of our existence.

The opening paragraph in Gaudium et Spes:

“The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ. Indeed, nothing genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts. For theirs is a community composed of men. United in Christ, they are led by the Holy Spirit in their journey to the Kingdom of their Father, and they have welcomed the news of salvation which is meant for every man. That is why this community realizes that it is truly linked with mankind and its history by the deepest of bonds.”

This statement from Gaudium et Spes (keep in mind the year is 1965 and hence the language) invites us to consider our shared human experience and our spiritual journey towards the Kingdom of God.

Think about the opening statement. Does that opening statement speak to our existence when we look into a mirror? Does it say to us, “We are all the winners of the biggest … lottery … ever!” Or does it say something much different?

Now, let’s delve into the parable, a story that holds profound insights and lessons for our spiritual journey, in my humble opinion 😎.

There is a lot of buzz this week around what is called 3I/ATLAS, the object was spotted on July 1 by a NASA-funded telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile. Classified as interstellar due to its hyperbolic orbital path, it’s confirmed to have originated beyond our solar system. However, its origin and unusual movement have sparked intense interest among astronomers worldwide. Its trajectory suggests it’s simply passing through, but no one knows for sure. The astronomers observe it maneuvering in ways that are unlike those of comets and asteroids, which are pulled by gravity. That “thing” they are tracking in space is 7 miles long and 2.5 miles wide. It’s roughly the size of a small Island.

My parable about 31/ATLAS is that it is a ship, a metaphor/parable for our journey through life and the cosmos, guided by spiritual teachings and philosophical insights.

On the ship, the flight navigator says on the deck, “Remember when the Significant Other told us he created a place he called purgatory or hell, and it was the same place, just different. But he said he would not tell us where it was; it is a place he sends all the people who don’t get it to re-learn before they can come to where we live in the Garden of Eden,” the Secondmate says. “Yeah, and didn’t he send Siddhartha, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, and a whole bunch of others to help them out?” the Captain asks. “Yeah, and they still don’t get it. Wow, maybe that is what Earth is?” the Navigator adds. “That just may explain why the Significant Other forbids us to go there,” she remarks.

This parable serves as a reflection on our spiritual journey and the challenges we face in understanding our place in the cosmos. On a clear night, go out and lie down on the ground and look up at the stars, and ask yourself, “Why am I here’