As she hurriedly completed her purchases, the shopper nervously glanced at her watch, knowing that she had several other errands to manage before heading home. As she exited from the store into the bright sunlight, she quickly walked to the row of cars where she had parked her car. “Now where is the car, I know that I parked it in this row….or was it over there,” she thought to herself as she was searching for her car. Then she stopped and began to glance over the sea of cars, hoping to spot the clean blue car that was hers. No luck. “Ok, slow down and reflect on where I may have parked the car. It must be here somewhere,” she told herself. After she walked up and down several isles of parked cars, she became exasperated and angry. “How can I be so stupid as to not remember where my car is parked,” she barked at herself. Then it hit her….Panic! The car has been stolen! “Oh no, it cannot be,” she thought as she tried to compose herself. It has to be here. As she began to glance around the car park once again, she suddenly realized that she was standing next to her vehicle. She breathed a sigh of relief; the panic was dissipated and she even smiled to herself as if to say, “How stupid of me. Why the Panic?”

In our everyday lives, we can easily misplace items that have great value, either financially or emotionally or both…. And yes, occasionally an item might be stolen. Fortunately, most items are found or returned to the rightful owner. Throughout our lives, we all face situations where important, valuable items are missing, some of which we even allow to go missing. For example, many Catholics dismiss or pay very little attention to God, religion, and faith for long periods of time.  Teachers, friends, societal values, and unfortunately, even priests may lead Catholics astray. Then, as did the woman shopper who gazed over rows of cars while seeking her own car, many individuals gaze over the seemingly endless theories about life’s meaning. They will ponder about their life’s purpose; some will even decide that life has no purpose and they are just here for a short time and that is all there is to it. Yet it does occur to most of them that something of great value is missing and must be found, if life is to possess real meaning and substance. Years may pass before the search begins for the missing God and the Church Jesus founded and protected. The search may present individuals with some difficult choices, forcing them to relinquish part of their comfort zone.  However, after gazing about for meaning  and purpose in life, many people will turn to Jesus and the Catholic Church which, like the shopper’s car, was always so close to them. The answer to their quest was never stolen or lost or missing; it was just that their vision was clouded by false choices and life’s every day cares.

Many individuals come to realize that there is a meaning and purpose to this life that is beyond bodily existence. Humans are here as part of the journey home to God and that the Catholic Church is Jesus’ chosen map maker. All humans need to do is obtain the map and follow it to home. The road home may be difficult at times and is regularly challenging, but the destination is the purpose for which we are made.