In the Tim Allen movie, "Jungle to Jungle," Tim plays a rich and successful stock broker who finds himself in need of a quick divorce from his first wife. He accordingly is forced to fly to some obscure, primitive village in the deep jungle somewhere in South America in order to obtain his wife’s signature granting him a divorce. Unbeknownst to him, he has fathered a son, whom he has never met, and who is about to be initiated into manhood (13 years old) by the tribal leader. Tim commits to bring his son to New York City and introduce him to civilization, or as he puts it, "My jungle." As the plot thickens, there is a scene where his son asks what the word "obligation" means. Tim explains that an obligation is "something you have to do, but don’t want to do." Later, after several mishaps the young, out of place boy challenges his father and asks him, "Why did you bring me here?" Tim’s answer. "Because it was an obligation."

This is how we often treat our relationship to God. Even though we proclaim, Let us commit ourselves and one another, and our whole life to Christ our God, we don’t seem to practice it. An obligation to God seems to be only for people who are distressed, elderly, forlorn, or without anything else to lose. It does not seem particularly important to us, because we have many other, time-consuming obligations. In other words, we need not commit to God not because we do not want to or desire to, but because He is not a priority.

The Gospel according to St. Luke relates a story of a young man, a lawyer who asks Christ what he should do to inherit eternal life. After acknowledging the basic necessities of observing the commandments, he is instructed to "sell all your possessions and follow me." The young man walks away. His commitment and his obligation is negated by his unwillingness to part with his material lifestyle and make a sacrifice for Christ. Christ knows this, because if the young man really wanted to follow Christ, he would have instinctively known what to do. He lacks commitment, and his obligation is to his material wealth.

We are confronted daily with the challenge to place Christ at the forefront of our lives. Everything we do should reflect the Christ within us, but our warped sense of commitment is clouded by personal gain, ambition, and by time consuming waste. There is hope, of course.

There was another young man who prepared himself for summer, sun-filled fun and games. His friends called to him to come out and play. But, this young man was different. He told his friends they had to wait. As they tossed the ball back and forth, the young man went to his dresser. Laying on top was a book, not any old book, and yet a book centuries old. It was his bible. He read a passage from the bible, finished and replaced his good book back in its place, and off he ran to join his friends. That is commitment. Praying before a meal, or when rising from or retiring to bed; making the sign of the cross; taking time to admire God’s work; giving thanks; attending church; participating in a sacramental life. All, these are ways to reflect the glory of Christ within us.

Our lives are hectic. No one can argue against that, but first and foremost in our lives should be Christ. After all, we say, Let us commit ourselves and one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.