My sins can be forgiven through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I can hold God Himself inside my soul through the Blessed Eucharist.
The other day I needed to travel into the city for a meeting with a client.
It was an important meeting and there was not much parking in the surrounding streets and so I decided that I would catch an Uber into the city and save myself the drive and hassle of finding parking on the day and then locating the office that I needed to go to.
Previously I had tried driving in for meetings of this nature. But though it might initially appear cheaper to do such a thing, in the long run it was not. You see, once you account for the tolls and the very exorbitant cost of the parking on the day, and then when you factor in the inconvenience of being unable to actually work out where I am going on the day and all the rest of the drama, it was actually a lot “cheaper” and more convenient to pay for a car and driver to get me in there on the day.
And I have been reflecting on that experience today, because that experience of getting the Uber is like the experience of getting to Heaven through the means of the Catholic Church.
You see, it is possible to get into Heaven if you are not a Catholic. It is certainly possible. In fact, some Catholics are unlikely to get into Heaven, while other non-Catholics who live holy lives that are pleasing to God will get into Heaven. But just because it is possible does not mean it is easy.
And this is much like driving into the city. You see, when a I drove into the city to meet with my clients, I was not prohibited from doing anything. I would still arrive there, but the experience would be inefficient and expensive – relatively speaking – and by the time I actually arrived at the client’s office I would be stressed and frazzled and not quite where I should be to have a controlled business meeting.
And when I compare this experience to the Uber, it is like comparing being a Catholic and attaining sanctification. Catholics are no better than non-Catholics, just as an Uber is no better than any other means to get into the city. However, Catholics are better equipped to get into Heavan than non-Catholics, because they not only have the guidance of the Church itself through the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, which governs Church law and matters of Faith, but we also have access to the Sacraments.
My sins can be forgiven through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I can hold God Himself inside my soul through the Blessed Eucharist. Before I die, I wish to receive the Anointing of the Sick and the Last Rites in order to prepare my soul for eternity.
And these things are like the convenience of the Uber. And just as the Uber is slightly more expensive than my driving into the city alone, so too is Catholicism slightly more work than being non-Catholic… And I have been thinking about that today. Because both the Uber and my Catholic Faith are worth it!
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.