Tag: Repentance

CDXXXV – The Worst Thing Ever™

That Thing That Happened (T3H) was the worst thing to ever happen. Trust me–I have years of experience in things happening. I have lived a long life and seen many things happen but none of the things that have happened have been worse than T3H.

The consequences of T3H are far reaching, and affects every part of our lives. The government is taking advantage of T3H to increase it’s power and oppress us, the Very Special People (VSP). Corporations are in league with the government to extract money from the people, using the governments response to T3H for their own profit. Shoot, all the people in the government are paid for by the Corporations anyway.

There are many people who I used to think were VSP but who for some reason or other cannot see that T3H is the worst thing to ever happen. I guess they are not VSP–disappointing, because only VSP see the TRUTH of what is happening in the world. There’s lots of Sheeple too, who deny that T3H is the worst thing to ever happen, or who don’t care that it happened, or who don’t think it is the worst. These people are fools and are complicit with the Big Evil Conspiracy (BEC). The BEC is the real cause of T3H, and they caused it in order to target VSP. See? It’s working! So much division has happened because of T3H, and it’s all working according to the BEC. I know about the BEC because I am a VERY very special person (VVSP).

Time is quickly running out. If you are a VSP, if you love TRUTH, if you hate the BEC, then it’s time to gear up. We need to all be on the same side, in the same place, because we all obviously believe and think the same ways about the same things. If only we could all unite then the BEC would collapse, corrupt governments would meet their match, and our team, the team of the VSP would WIN. And we have to win, or else the BEC wins. You don’t want the BEC to win, do you? So join us VSP. That Thing That Happened was the worst thing ever and I never want it to happen again.

The preceding is satire, obviously. Substitute whatever you want for That Thing That Happened, and anyone you want for Very Special People, and any bad-guy you want for Big Evil Conspiracy. It all plays out the same.

One thing that frustrates me to no end is the temporality of how people respond to That Thing That Happened, whatever it happens to be. All the news, every day, for all time, is going to be bad news, if you are not someone who is popular at social functions. For me, the only Very Special People that matter are Christians and Catholics. The reason they are Very Special People is because they/we (should) have a proper understanding of God.

Part of having a proper understanding of God ought to mean having a mind to eternity–a long view. Living in this world sucks. It’s not fun. People are mean, some people are evil. People die on purpose, people die on accident. People get hurt and it changes their lives forever. Trauma happens–on accident or on purpose. This world sucks.

This world is not all there is.

If That Thing That Happened is political–suck it up. You aren’t so special that your plaintive peals in the night will stop jackboot nor bunny slipper. If the Government decides you lose, then that’s it–you lose. Have a mind towards eternity, and gain heaven. Anything anyone takes away from you without cause will be restored to you in Heaven. So keep your focus on Heaven and wait for wrongs to be righted with perfect clarity and justice.

If That Thing That Happened is economic–suck it up. You aren’t so special that your money ought to be treated differently from anyone else’s money. The world is crazy and the world is crazy about money. If things are bad economically, it’s bad economically for everyone. We’re even. You aren’t losing. And you can’t control if someone else is lining their pockets. If you can control it, then for God’s sake stop them! But for nine-hundred ninety nine of 1,000 of you, you cannot control it. Eat dirt like the rest of us.

If That Thing That Happened is personal–suck it up! Control the parts of your life you can control, surrender the parts of your life you cannot. You aren’t so special that your problems should be the chief concern of all else around you. We all have problems too. Everyone has their own cross to carry. Not every cross is the same.

This world is not all there is. Prayer works. If you want to solve problems, pray about it. When you pray, you do more to solve yourself than to solve the world around you. Because God won’t judge you for your political party, your economic condition, or who-done-what to you. God cares about your soul and it is your job to get your soul from here to Heaven.

Stop reading the news and getting riled up. To be Catholic is to lose. You will lose every day, all the time. People will hate you, people will persecute you. You may lose your job, your stuff, your life. Whatever is taken from you will be restored to you in Heaven. So work on getting to Heaven. You can’t bring this stuff with you when you die. Train yourself to leave it all here.

AMDG

CCCX – More Reflections From Luke 22

21 But yet behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. 22 And the Son of man indeed goeth, according to that which is determined: but yet, woe to that man by whom he shall be betrayed.

23 And they began to inquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. 24 And there was also a strife amongst them, which of them should seem to be the greater.

This is an interesting scene, to me. I can imagine how the conversation goes: Christ says his betrayer is among them, and they turn to one another and say “It couldn’t be me, I was with Christ from the very beginning!” “Yeah but I was there with the multiplication of the loaves!” “That’s nothing, Christ called me first!” “But I have done more!” The desire to identify the betrayer quickly becomes a holiness spiral. It stops being about Christ and begins to be about themselves.

I can also imagine Judas throughout this conversation, sweating bullets, tactfully trying to avoid getting entangled in this discussion. I can imagine Jesus staring him down, and Judas being very focused on the crumbs on his plate and how they are arranged.

25 And he said to them: The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and they that have power over them, are called beneficent. 26 But you not so: but he that is the greater among you, let him become as the younger; and he that is the leader, as he that serveth. 27 For which is greater, he that sitteth at table, or he that serveth? Is it not he that sitteth at table? But I am in the midst of you, as he that serveth:

Christ rebukes the holiness spiral by calling them to servant leadership. “If you want to be great, serve your neighbor!” I especially like how Christ discusses who is greater: “Is it he that sitteth at table, or he that serveth? The guy sitting, right? I am here as he that serves.”–to me, there is an implied threat there. “When I come back, it will be as he that sitteth at table.” Christ does not say that he that serves is greater, but affirms that he that sits is greater. But none of us, in this life, can be greater than the Lord, and the Lord came first to us as he that serves, so we must imitate him in service. When He comes again to judge the living and the dead, our service will very tangibly be service to the King who sitteth at table, but who first came to us to teach us how to serve.

28 And you are they who have continued with me in my temptations: 29 And I dispose to you, as my Father hath disposed to me, a kingdom; 30 That you may eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom: and may sit upon thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Christ affirms that their work and effort is not for nothing. “Guys, guys, relax. You all have been with me through hard times.”–he reminds them that their reward is eternal. Not in this life, will they sit on thrones, but in the next. “Lay up your treasure in heaven” but quite tangibly Christ tells them what their heavenly treasure will be. This also could be construed as the founding of the Church on Earth, essentially: The Kingdom of God, under the chair of Peter. Because of Peter’s pivotal role in the Kingdom to come, Christ continues:

31 And the Lord said: Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and thou, being once converted, confirm thy brethren.

33 Who said to him: Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

34 And he said: I say to thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, till thou thrice deniest that thou knowest me. (…)

I didn’t realize this was in scripture–it’s either often overlooked or it is a unique feature of the Douay-Rheims translation: that Satan desired to have Simon Peter. Essentially, Christ is saying that he saved Peter then and there, perhaps in a negotiation similar to Job. The price negotiated perhaps was that Satan would be allowed to tempt Peter but not to destroy him. Peter’s peacetime faith is strong, but when the moment of trial came he was weak and abandoned the Lord. Christ’s prayers perhaps protected him from Satan but did not protect him from stumbling. Christ admonishes Peter to, once he repents and converts–once he turns around–to get back to work and reinforce the faith of everyone else.

These are my thoughts.

O Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.

AMDG

CCCIX – Reflections on Luke 22:61

I have been reading through a little pocket Bible which includes the New Testament (Gospels, Acts, epistles, Apocalypse) plus Proverbs and Psalms plugged in at the end. It was this project which took me to a closer reading of Matthew earlier, and I have been putting off finishing Luke because the crucifixion is a spiritually and emotionally difficult scripture to read. Today (the day I write this, a little before I publish this article), I got through it, and Luke 22:61 stuck out to me.

And the Lord turning looked on Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, as he had said: Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

Particularly what struck me was the beginning: “And the Lord turning looked on Peter.” The scene is set where Christ is being judged before the crowd and Peter follows a ways off to watch the proceedings. In my mind, I imagined something like a small stadium or amphitheater where Christ is at the Center and Peter is in the back row, trying to be inconspicuous. And yet, when the crowd turns on Peter and he denies Christ, even from a distance away Christ knows where to look to catch Peter’s eye.

The reason this stuck out to me is because it can be hard to pick out individuals from a crowd. Yet–when you are the one on the field and your parents, your spouse, your children, your friends are the ones in the crowd, cheering you on, you know exactly how to pick them out. You’ll find them even if you don’t know beforehand where they are going to be–to you, the people you love are instantly recognizable, even from a distance, by their silhouette and body movements and clothes. This is true enough to become a trope in movies–little Johnny looking into the stands and drawing inspiration for the climactic final play from his dad who finally showed up to the big game.

Christ knows each and every person in the crowd, personally. He knows their names, the names of their family. He knows where they live, he knows what they do. Of course He does–He created them. But there are few He called His friends, and Peter was one of those gracious few. Christ could name everyone in the mob that accused Him, but Peter He could pick out from the crowd. And when the cock crew, Christ knew what Peter had done, and found him in the crowd, as one can only find ones loved ones, and made eye contact.

I am not so naive as to think I am incapable of the sin of Peter–but I do hope I am capable of the contrition of Peter. When Christ catches my eye in the crowd, will He see a loved one, who gives him strength–or a denier, who disappoints Him in His hour of need?

O Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy upon me, a sinner.

AMDG