"Everyone doing the building must work carefully. For the foundation, nobody can lay any other than the one which has already been laid, that is Jesus Christ. On this foundation you can build in gold, silver and jewels, or in wood, grass, and straw, but whatever the material, the work of each builder is going to be clearly revealed when the day comes. That day will begin with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work."
Paul's 1st letter to the Corinthians
When defining the purpose of life, philosophers have identified three main categories for our "reasons for being". These "reasons for being" are not specifically exclusive in themselves, but often overlap in some form and degree:
1. The first is the pursuit of material abundance: That is the quest for wealth, possessions, financial security. The tendency here is for the individual to seek fulfillment through the means of monetary rewards and success.
2. The second is the desire for pleasure, sensual enjoyment, or emotional satisfaction. This can come in many forms, but perhaps its most healthy form is lived out in a committed marriage and family relationship where love and the commitment to love can find full expression.
3. The third reason for being is to be found in the quest for harmony through following an ethical and moral life. This is reflected in one's spiritual or religious life, by a love for integrity, loyalty, self sacrifice, and the higher virtues that flow from moral and ethical strengths.
In determining our "reason for being" do we take into consideration what scripture has to say about who we are and the lives we are called to live?
Saint Paul, in his first letter to Corinthians, reminds us that if we build on a foundation of gold, silver, and jewels, or in wood, grass and straw, whatever the material, the work of each builder is going to be clearly revealed. Fire will test the quality of each person's work. And he reminds us that we are God's temple, and that the Spirit of God is living among us. So everyone doing the building must work carefully.
If we build our lives only on the pursuit of material abundance, are we building on something that will last, or will our hard work eventually go up in flames? The same is true if we build only on the pursuit of pleasure, even in its most healthy form.
In the Gospel of John, we see Jesus driving out of the temple those people selling cattle, sheep and pigeons. "Take all of this out of here and stop turning my Father's house into a market." What is He driving out? Let's go back to St. Paul's reminder: "Don't you realize that you are God's temple, and that the Spirit of God is living among you?"
Jesus' cleansing of the temple must also be seen as a prophetic sign of what He wants to do with each of us. He seeks to cleanse us of those things that prevent us from seeing ourselves for truly who we are; living temples of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus says to the Pharisees after they questioned Him about His actions: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Pharisees did not understand that Jesus was not speaking about a building, but the temple of His body. Do we understand that unless we build on the solid foundation, within ourselves, established by Christ, and build something that is lasting and permanent, then we are defiling God's temple.
Jesus says: "Zeal for the Father's house will consume me." Do we not understand that we are that Father's house, the place where His Spirit resides. Through His death-resurrection, Jesus not only reconciles us with the Father, but fills us with His Spirit in order to make us temples of the living God. God's word enlightens our minds, purifies our hearts, and brings into balance the life we are meant to live.
Our purpose for being can only be found in God's purpose for us. In the meantime, God does not deny us the things that we need in order to live full balanced lives.
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