THE PUZZLE / by Joe Castorino

As I recently listened

to the keynote speaker

at a university commencement,

I was saddened to hear

the story of his life,

and his “successful” career.

He pointed out

that many others in his field

had died very young,

presumably due to suicide,

or drug overdose,

or something similar.

Yet he didn’t appear

fully convinced,

even to himself,

that he would escape

the same tragedy

of his dead peers.

He seemed to be struggling

to find meaning in his life,

and his “four keys to success,”

though not bad things,

won’t ever open the door

to true fulfillment.

His life was like a puzzle,

with all the little pieces

on the periphery

fitting nicely into place,

but with a gaping hole

in the very center.

That gaping hole

is where the heart should be —

The Sacred Heart —

that is the missing piece,

the Messianic Centerpiece,

that brings true happiness.