“It’s time for an alignment.”

Those of us who own a car have probably heard these words from a mechanic before and understand fully that making sure our car’s suspension is in its proper form is a good thing. The wheels will all be lined up, working together, and making solid contact with the road uniformly. This makes for a better ride and less car trouble down the line. It’s good to keep our car in alignment.

The same is true for us. 

In our lives, we often need to determine what we want, what our goals should be, how to conduct ourselves, the way in which we interact with others, which commitments to embrace and which we step away from, and so forth. We are bombarded with decision points, some minor and others profoundly important. And along the way, life happens. Good things take place… tough things take place. We have joy and we suffer. During this process, we need to ascertain just who we are, what we want, and how we will act. 

Then there is what God wants. Scripture and our Catholic tradition provide many important clues about this and the message, ministry, and sacrifice of Jesus and his followers point the way forward. In Matthew’s Gospel, we learn about Jesus’ most famous speech, the Sermon on the Mount. At the beginning of that are the Beatitudes which point us directly toward the Kingdom of Heaven. It’s Jesus’ spoken masterpiece, his magnum opus, his masterclass. When you get a chance, open your bible or browser to Matthew, Chapter 5, verses 1-12. If you have a little more time, read the rest of his famous sermon. It’s critical. And it tells us what God wants for us.

There’s what we want. And there’s what God wants. 

I’d argue that when these match, when they line up, then we are – as the current catchphrase notes, “living our best lives”. We find an inner peace, experience consolation, feel as though we can pray with a natural sincerity and longing to God, his Son, and the Holy Spirit. When we are in this type of alignment, I believe we know it in our gut and our faith flourishes.

A simple and, I contend, effective way of thinking about sin is that it is anything… anything… that separates us from God. I’ll supplement that definition by adding that when we are out of alignment, that is, when we know that God’s desire for us does not match our own desires and actions, we fall away from God. 

When our car is out of alignment, we know that we can go to a trustworthy mechanic who will set things right. When we ourselves are out of alignment, there are several things we can do, including:

• Seek a trusted spiritual advisor, a person who lives their life in accordance with the Beatitudes and principles of our faith and who demonstrates a relationship with Christ.
• Seek the Sacraments, most notably the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Eucharist, including spending time before Christ in Adoration.
• Look in the mirror and be honest about your choices; are there some things you can start, or stop, doing that will help?
• Actively seek more quiet time. Many of us are wildly distracted these days by technology, binge-worthy television shows, and information overload. It’s hard to hear the voice of God over the cacophony blaring at us constantly. 
• Start small, building new habits that point us toward better alignment. These can include attending Mass on a regular basis, scheduling Reconciliation with a priest, praying the rosary in a quiet place every day, and working closely with a spiritual advisor. 

Do you feel it’s time for an alignment?