An "Automotive Theology" of Salvation

     Teens and adults relate to cars because they form such an important part of modern culture. Early learning experiences with cars can show us a thing or two about the life of Grace and the pit stops along the way where we can top off the tank, as well as the potholes to be avoided. Most know auto basics. But when asked, "How many quarts and what type of oil are recommended in the owners manual? How about tire pressure?," many have no idea. While it is very important, many drivers have never read their owner's manuals.

     However, the engineers who design cars, and the bosses who want customers to continue buying their brand, have put together all the information essential to the proper functioning of their autos. They only want to help inform their customers about what things to do for their car's best performance, service and reliability, to protect themselves from getting sued if the buyer is not made aware of basic safety measures, and to keep the owner buying that brand.

     If, our own father had owned a car company, was chief engineer, and gave us our dream car, how would he write the owner's manual? He would take care to tell us what would make our car last, how to drive it, how to avoid accidents, what kind of gas and oil to buy, what service tips provide the best performance, the best tires for the car, etc.

     If he really loved us, he would want us to be happy and safe when driving. He would tell us to obey the speed limit, keep it on the right side of the road, stop at red lights, and obey not only his owner's manual, but all the laws of the state that regulate driving. Finally, he'd give us a basic outline of the performance limits of the vehicle, like the fact that our car might go 50 mph through the curve that totaled Joe's Toyota at 45 mph, but how we shouldn't even think of trying it!

     In reality, out of concern, he probably would not give us our dream car, but the model that is best for us and our needs. Possibly, since he owned the company, he'd have his mechanics keep the gas tank full, clean the bugs off the windshield, and straighten out the dents when we go off the road. But we'd likely have to pay for the repairs by sweeping up the shop later.

     Our life is much like that car, given to us by a loving Father to drive to our Eternal Destination, Heaven. Car company bosses are motivated by corporate earnings; they just want to make money. Fathers are motivated by human love. However, Supernatural Love motivates our Father in Heaven when He hands us the keys and the owner's manual for our lives. As the chief designer, engineer and maker of us all, He knows what will make our cars run well, what will make our cars break down and crash, and the ultimate destiny of all His makes and models. He has not only given us an owner's manual but an entire automotive industry finely tuned to keeping our car running and on the road, and ultimately getting our auto to its ultimate destination.

     Given this auto analogy, a scenario can be laid out to explain the life of Grace. In our analogy, our car, our life, rolls off the assembly line at conception. It is absolutely unique, and no other model will ever be the same as ours. However, because of the original sin of Adam and Eve, the first head on collision in history, all new cars coming off this assembly line come with a dark, empty gas tank.

     That first tank of gas, the one that starts our car on the road to its eternal destiny, is the sacrament of Baptism. This fills the void left by Adam and Eve's first wreck, Original Sin, and sets us on our course. This early phase, however, is very similar to the kiddy cars at the park. We drive along, giggling, oblivious to the dangers of the open road, on a one lane track where we can neither hit anyone or be hit. Plus, we've got a control on our engine that keeps us from going too fast on that one lane for a while, even though our engine is running and our tank is full.

     After about 7 years, the gates are opened, and we are let out off the safe lane and onto the freeway, and we are given more freedom to decide our road course. We are taught the basic rules of the road and the basic guidelines in our Father's owner's manual by our parents and our Church. The Bible and the Catechism are the owners manual. The laws of the Church are the road signs and traffic laws on the way. Free will is our ability to decide the course we will take to arrive at our ultimate destiny, Heaven or Hell.

     Now with this new freedom comes an awareness, for the first time, of Sin. Venial Sin is like the bugs that build up on our windshield that can keep us from seeing where we're headed with precision, and the wiper blades need replaced so that we can see through storms. The brakes will start to wear and we may come closer to the edge than we, or our parents and priests, may like. These little, venial problems, can also contribute to serious, mortal damage. Too many bugs on the windshield for instance, or too much brake wear or improper tire pressure, these can all make it hard to see the proper course and contribute to our leaving the road or failing to "negotiate a curve," as the newspaper reports say when there's been a serious wreck. When this happens our car will no longer continue its proper course unless the mortal damage is repaired. This mortal damage is called Mortal Sin.

     Fortunately, at this stage, our Father has given us our first pit stop where His Holy Auto technicians scrape the bugs off the windshield, and restore the full tank of Sanctifying Grace first obtained at Baptism. With this, our First Confession, they can straighten out a car totaled by collision, rebuild its engine, repair any mortal damage, and get it back on the road. A good Technician will even instruct the driver how to avoid getting into too many swarms of bugs and keep from leaving the highway. In other words our priests, these Holy Auto Technicians, teach us to avoid Venial Sins so we don't crash in Mortal Sins. But even the best Technician cannot repair damage that the car owner does not point out to him by a good confession of all the damage, wear, and tear.

     The real high octane gas comes soon after, in First Communion, when the Father sends His very Son from the corporate office to join us behind the wheel. This weekly fill up not only cleans off the bugs and clarifies the view ahead, but gives us the strength to persevere in driving our car on the straight path, avoiding collisions, obstacles, and other difficulties that would slow or even stop our progression otherwise. Weekly fill ups with this Supreme grade fuel are highly recommended, and many drivers soon realize not only the benefits of daily fill ups, but that even just sitting there next to the pumps can bring strength and guidance for the road. Sitting there "next to the pumps" of course means visiting Our Lord in the Tabernacle or in Eucharistic Adoration.

     A special day comes after First Confession and First Communion, when the transmission is shifted out of low gear, and our learner's permit really does become a full fledged license to drive. This day is the day of the Sacrament of Confirmation. This special one time pit stop gives us the full measure of the Love shared by the Father and Son. This Love, the Holy Spirit, comes to us in this Confirmation of our Baptismal full tank. For some drivers, it is difficult to explain this pit stop. It may be as if this extra octane gas was present in our "tank" from Baptism, sitting in the bottom of the fuel tank, waiting for the rest of the vehicle to come into its own so this extra octane could be mixed in with the rest of the tank to give the car added power. This comes at a time in adolescence when this extra boost is needed to drive on through a particularly treacherous part of the course, the teen years. Regardless, the driver receives many gifts from this Holy Spirit that dwells within the driver, helping him attain his goals on this road, and helping him help other motorists along the same road.

     For some drivers, a time comes when they decide to take on another driver as a copilot. Marriage is when one driver stops and asks another driver to come along for the ride. The decision on what other driver to invite should be based primarily on whether that driver will help us attain our eternal goal. Mystically, the two cars will become one, and from this will come new cars, new souls who these drivers will subsequently help onto the highway alongside them. When two drivers share one common mission, one common road, the Father gives them the Grace of the Sacrament of Marriage to help them help each other drive straight and true to the Father's House, which is Heaven.

     We already mentioned the Father's Holy Auto Technicians, the priests. These men are specially chosen by the Father to be the workers on the highway of life who provide all the auto upkeep and care. In Holy Orders, a man called by the Father to this special task becomes a priest for life. Only the priest can say mass, where Jesus Christ becomes present in the Holy Eucharist, our daily High Octane bread and full service pit stop that also removes our Venial Sins, those bug specks on our windshield and dents in the body work that lead to Mortal Sin. Only the priests can absolve the driver of his Mortal Sins, the catastrophic collisions which would otherwise send our souls to the eternal junk yard called Hell. When the priest does auto body repair, the collisions are completely repaired and the engine completely restored, and the Holy Trinity, God the Father, Jesus His Son, and the Holy Spirit, return to dwell in the soul, the fuel tank, or the driver.

     When, as we near the end of our journey we just can't go on driving ourselves, the priest comes to administer the Anointing of the Sick. This sacrament is a final pit stop where any remaining sins are removed from the soul, any dents are straightened out, and the driver is made fully ready to finally meet his Father at the Eternal Destination called Heaven. Often, if the driver is still awake, this Sacrament will be given along with Confession and Holy Communion as the final complete preparation for the last part of the journey. If the driver is not awake the Sacrament of Anointing the Sick is still given, and Jesus Himself helps the driver finish the long drive that has been his earthly life.

     If we reach our Eternal Destination, if we get to Heaven, our Father will pat us on the back, saying, "Well done, good and faithful driver." Then we will know our journey is complete and our Father will take us into His Home, where there are many rooms, and many drivers, all the faithful Saints and Angels, dwell for eternity.