Way

“I am the Way, The Truth and The Life.” (John 14:6).

The Risen Christ Appears to His Mother

I was listening to a very old-fashioned piece of music – the Jazzy, Bluesy song, “My Way” by Frank Sinatra.

If you are over a certain age – as I am – this song is probably entrenched inside your conscious and just hearing the words brings to your mind a whole melody of deep rich tones as the band plays triumphantly in the background and the man with the “baby blue eyes” sings his lungs out in an anthem to independence.

And I have been reflecting on t hat song, because it is beautiful and catchy and uplifting – and COMPLETELY WRONG!

You see, in that song, we listen to the words that tell us that as the “end is near” the singer is happy that he lived his life HIS WAY – hence the title of the song, “My Way”.

And I have been reflecting on that as I reflect on “THE Way, The Truth and The Life.” (John 14:6). You see, Christ – who is the PERFECT Man – did not come to Earth, entering Time and Space, so that He could do things His way. No. Christ – perfect Man and perfect God – came to Earth, entering time and space so that He could do things according to the Will of the Father. In other words, God the Son does things God the Father’s Way.

And I have been thinking about that fact in light of the experience of the Holy Souls in Purgatory. For Purgatory is a great gift to souls. Though a soul suffers unimaginable agony in Purgatory, that suffering is neither pointless, nor unendurable. Instead, the Holy Souls in Purgatory suffer for purification to prepare for eternal life. This purification is not THEIR way. Their way was to discard their eternal salvation in exchange for the temporal comforts of the Earth. This opportunity for sanctification is the result of trusting in the Holy Will of God.

And when I think about that today, and I reflect on the PERFECT Model who was provided for me to imitate, it occurs to me that I have quite a way to go. After all, I am a proud and stubborn woman. I pride myself – in fact – on doing things my way, because (so I reason to myself) that is the best way for the thing to be done.

But when I think about Christ who is God the Son, and when I think about His Blessed Mother – both of whom submitted themselves COMPLETELY to the Will of the Father, thereby doing things HIS WAY – I am completely overcome.

For you see, I have become lost in the maze of this world. I have become lost in my own way. And though the words of the song ring out victorious with the words, “I did it my way”, it occurs to me that there is no comfort in eternity for the soul who did things THEIR way. For God came to Earth for me, and His Holy Mother set an example for me, and I am told, He is “THE Way, The Truth and The Life.” (John 14:6), and I shall have to start thinking about that the next time I try to do things MY WAY…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.