Futility

Futility.

The dictionary defines it as the quality of being ineffective or useless. We sometimes describe it as banging our head against the wall or going nowhere fast. We know what we want but no matter how hard we try we just don't seem to be able to achieve it. Happiness, security and love seem to be just beyond our grasp.

Futility describes the experience of many people in the business world. They go to the right schools, graduate near the top of the class, land prestigious jobs with impressive titles and earn exorbitant salaries and bonuses. They thought that status and wealth would give them the security and the self-esteem they so desired. However, no matter how much they achieve, they still feel frightened and alone. They can’t help but ask themselves, "Is this all there is?" They experience the futility of chasing after worldly success. It does not deliver on its promise of security and esteem..

Futility describes the experience of so many young people in our world today. They so long to love and to be loved but find it difficult if not impossible to negotiate all the unwritten rules of relationships in a culture obsessed with sex. Our society promises them that having sex will give them a sense of fulfillment and make them adults. They are told it is the way of filling up the emptiness they feel inside. However, the experience of sex outside of marriage turns out to be painful. They feel emptier than ever before and the sting of rejection leaves them feeling worthless. They experience the futility of chasing after uncommitted sex. It does not deliver on its promise to satisfy and empower us.

Our world is burdened by a sense of futility. We never reach the fulfillment that we desire and that the world falsely promises. Sometimes we are tempted to give up, telling ourselves that we will never really be happy. We settle for dysfunctional relationships and fleeting pleasures because we think it is the best we can do. Or we avoid commitment just in case something better comes along. We become indifferent preferring to let our hearts become hard rather than to ever feel hurt or disappointed again. We give into the futility of life rather than strive for something more.

St. Paul tells us in today's second reading that we have been delivered from the futile way of life our fathers handed on to us. The path to happiness society points out to us – worldly success, fame, pleasure and possessions – is not the only way. In fact, it only leads to futility and unfulfillment. Jesus Christ is the only way to meet our deepest need for joy, security and love. God created our innermost being and put within it those desires. And only he is great enough to fulfill and meet the longing within us. If you are haunted by that feeling that something is missing in your life, it is most likely the presence of Jesus. All you need to do is turn to him, invite him into your life and watch the change take place.

Once Jesus becomes the center of our lives and the source of our fulfillment, we start to see the other areas of our life change.

First of all, we experience more peace and joy in our relationships. We no longer look to others to meet all our needs and cure our sense of loneliness and isolation. We become less demanding and more giving. Because our fear of rejection becomes less intense, we are not afraid to give love more freely. In so doing, we discover the spiritual truth that the more we give the more we receive. Our relationships become sources of encouragement and joy for us because we accept others as they are, with the same weaknesses and faults that we have. Overcoming the futility of trying to meet all our needs through others, we discover the joy that comes from loving them unconditionally.

Secondly, when we invite Jesus into our lives,  our experience of work even changes. We no longer look at our jobs or our school work as ways of showing everyone how important we are but as ways of serving others. Rather than trying to gain power over others, we start looking for ways to help them. Our time and energy goes more into building relationships than building wealth. We begin to have a sense that we are really doing something worthwhile with our lives and are really making a difference. This renewed sense of purpose helps us to deal better with difficulties in our schools and places of business. We no longer fear that problems that come up or challenges from our co-workers will expose just how incompetent we are. Rather we look at them as opportunities to grow and to learn. The futility of trying to find our place in the world through wealth and worldly success gives way to the joy of serving others when Jesus becomes the center of our lives.

In today’s gospel, Jesus tells us: “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you…” The sad reality of life in the world today is that so many people spend their time, energy and even ruin their health and relationships chasing after what, in the end, fails to satisfy them. All the while, Jesus offers the fulfillment, love and peace we seek free of cost. It is ours for the asking if we simply turn to Him.

We are about to receive the Bread of Life, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Only He can soothe the aching of our hearts. Only He can meet the deepest need within us. The good news is that He is eager to do so. We only need to stretch out our hands to Him in faith and receive the Body of Christ with the word, “Amen.” Then the futility of this life will give way to the joy which lasts to eternal life.