By Fr. Eugene Hemrick
Yeshua Institute Fellow
Want a good meditation on our journey through life? Voyage of Life by American artist Thomas Cole is where to begin.
His picturesque paintings of Childhood, Youth, Manhood and Old Age depict a voyager traveling in boat on a river through the mid-19th-century American wilderness. In each painting a guardian angel accompanies the voyager.
As a child and youth, the boy sails smoothly through an idyllic forest and bright sky toward the dream world of a shining castle. In adulthood the voyager prays for safety through rough waters. Finally, as an old man the guardian angel guides him across dark waters to eternity.
The four paintings portray our life journey. In a youthful dream world there are few worries, everything is new and exciting. Then comes adulthood with the price of struggling through turbulent difficulties, and in old age we face the reality of life’s journey ending.
Facing the reality of aging can be difficult. How we pine for our zestful youth. In adulthood we work with the sweat of our brow to achieve and prosper. And when faced with the end of our journey how we hang on for dear life. But then there is the realization we can’t stop the clock and wisdom sets in prompting to ask, “What should constitute a meaningful journey?”
Former President Jimmy Carter gives us an excellent reflection to ponder. He tells us, “I have one life and one chance to make it count for something. My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference.”
I think we can concur whatever our purpose in life, our age or its rough journey, its goal is to improve our life and the life of those around us – to be an example of making a meaningful difference for the common good.
Interestingly Coles includes an accompanying guarding angel in his paintings prompting us to think of a spiritual voyage.
In Jesus Cristus author Fr. Romano Guardini defines the purpose of Christ’s journey. He starts with the question, “Well who exactly was Christ?” He answers “Perhaps, we may express it with the words He passed by. The form and shape of Jesus’ Being is a passage.” He has come from the Father and now he returns to the Father.”
So too is our life, a passage that does not stop with time but leads to the Father and eternal joy.