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Philippa Martyr: The road best travelled

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The road to Emmaus/ photo: Wikimedia Commons.

I’ve been thinking a lot about two things: travel and the need for conversion.

I don’t mean the repentance that comes when you think your plane is going to crash. It’s more like the “journey of life” concept.

We are immortal beings…It’s too late to do anything about it now; I suggest you just accept it and enjoy it.

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But for most of human history, travel has been unsafe. The roads were awful, full of bandits, and the maps were unreliable.

When I think about my journey into immortality, I can see a lot of similarities. Baptism starts us on a journey that will end in only one of two possible destinations.

One of the two destinations is immediate and eternal damnation. Sorry, folks, but it’s in the Gospels and the catechism and it’s one of our core beliefs as Catholics.

If you choose to travel in the wrong direction, it can get to a point where you can’t get back on the right road.

You need to retrace your steps, which takes time and humility. We call this “repentance” or “conversion” – literally changing direction.

But if you refuse to admit that you’re going the wrong way—and we’ve all travelled with that person—then how can you change direction?

And what if you turn back for a bit, but then decide that you prefer the more scenic but wrong road? How can anyone persuade you to keep turning back?

This is how people might send themselves to hell. In fact, you might meet people who seem to be already sitting in hell’s waiting room.

They’re deeply unhappy because of their life choices, but they blame everyone else for this.

Or they’re clever and pleasant, but with a heart like a steel ball. The only thing they look at is their own splendidness.

God won’t pick these people up and put them down on a road that they don’t want to travel along. He lets all of us choose our own adventure.

The other destination ends in the living heart of the Trinity itself, where you (and hopefully, I) will be drawn into eternal and pure love.

Again, you sometimes meet people who are so clearly on the right road towards this destination that they’re glowing with that love already.

This journey is no joking matter; it’s dangerous and difficult. The stakes are very high, and there are plenty of bandits.

That’s why the other two sacraments of initiation—the Eucharist and Confirmation—give you both rations and weapons.

It’s also good to have someone travelling with you. But not all our companions on the journey are reliable and trustworthy.

Some people enjoy leading others down dangerous paths because they can’t see the harm in it, and they rather like the thrills.

For example, if they like a particular type of sexual sin, they’ve already given themselves permission to do it. Now they’d like to extend that permission to everyone.

Some people simply don’t know the way. For example, in the church today there are people who think the best way into the heart of the Trinity is through a business management course.

Scripture is full of stories of difficult journeys. You could almost say it’s a hallmark of our Bible heritage.

I have always loved the story of Elijah on the run (1 Kings 19), hiding from vengeful leaders. He’s ready to give up and die in the wilderness.

But God gives him bread and water, and an angel tells him to get up and eat, or else the journey will be too long for him.

He then walks for 40 days to Mount Horeb, where he has scary experiences of wind, earthquake, and fire.

Then God comes to him as a gentle breeze. But have you ever read the rest of the chapter and found out what God asks Elijah to do next?

He tells him to go and anoint three future leaders of Israel who are going to cleanse the land of idol worship.

And when I say “cleanse,” I mean that it’s going to get quite messy—especially for the people being “cleansed.”

Jesus understood the dangers of travel. He also knew that lots of us would choose the scenic but deadly route, and that fewer people would take the harder but safer road (Matt 7:13-14).

We need our rations in the form of the Eucharist, and we need our weapons in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We also need good maps and wise guides.

Let’s pray for safe travels for all of us.

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