Skip to main content

Every Land, Every People

It's hard not to be overcome with paschal joy. Jesus rose from the dead; whatever reasons I have to be downcast just don't compare. Joy is different than a momentary feeling of happiness, or pleasure. I can remember watching the Cardinals win the World Series in 2006. For a split second, I thought I had never been so happy in my whole life. But it was part of a second. The next few seconds and minutes and hours were much like the seconds, minutes, and hours before. No new reality had been created. Something reminded me--whatever it was--that it's only baseball, and in the grand scheme, baseball isn't that important.

Let me emphasize that I love baseball, and specifically Cardinals baseball, more than you do. I see different things when I watch a game, that more than likely, a casual observer would not see. I say this so you understand that I'm not getting spiritual in contrast to a thing I'm indifferent about. At some infinitely lesser level, I live and die with the Cardinals. Still, take away the Cardinals, and I'll move on. Take away the Mass I attend each day, and I would have to say you have taken life from my body and soul.

If there is any part of you that believes likewise, may that part increase. It wasn't long ago that I went to Mass because I was afraid of the devil. I was afraid of my weakness before numerous temptations. Now, however, I seem to see the Lord literally drawing people to Himself, and I am a witness. The paschal mystery is the only reality of love in this world. Other loves are a copy--great as they may be--or a fabrication.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hilarious Com-Box Quote of The Day: "I was caught immediately because it is the Acts of the Apostles, not the Acts of the Holy Spirit Acting Erratically."--Donald Todd, reacting to the inartful opposition of the Holy Spirit and the Magisterium. Mark Galli, an editor at Christianity Today, had suggested that today's "confusion" in evangelicalism replicates a confusion on the day of Pentecost. Mr. Todd commented after this reply , and the original article is here. My thoughts: By what means was this Church-less "consensus" formed? If the Council did not possess the authority to adjudicate such questions, who does? If the Council Fathers did not intend to be the arbiters, why do they say that they do? At the risk of being rude, I would define evangelicalism as, "Whatever I want or need to believe at any particular time." Ecclesial authority to settle a particular question is a step forward, but only as long as, "God alone is Lord of the con
17 comments
Read more

A Friend I Once Had, And The Dogmatic Principle

 I once had a friend, a dear friend, who helped me with personal care needs in college. Reformed Presbyterian to the core. When I was a Reformed Presbyterian, I visited their church many times. We were close. I still consider his siblings my friends. (And siblings in the Lord.) Nevertheless, when I began to consider the claims of the Catholic Church to be the Church Christ founded, he took me out to breakfast. He implied--but never quite stated--that we would not be brothers, if I sought full communion with the Catholic Church. That came true; a couple years later, I called him on his birthday, as I'd done every year for close to ten of them. He didn't recognize my number, and it was the most strained, awkward phone call I have ever had. We haven't spoken since. We were close enough that I attended the rehearsal dinner for his wedding. His wife's uncle is a Catholic priest. I remember reading a blog post of theirs, that early in their relationship, she told him of the p
Post a Comment
Read more
My wheelchair was nearly destroyed by a car last night. That's a bit melodramatic, I suppose, because it is intact and undamaged. But we'd left my power chair ("Red Sam" in the official designation) in-between the maze of cars parked out front of Chris Yee's house for Bible Study. [Isn't that a Protestant Bible study?--ed.] They are good friends, and it is not under any official auspices. [Not BSF?--ed.] They're BSF guys, but it's not a BSF study. Anyway, I wasn't worried; I made a joke about calling the vendor the next day: "What seems to be the problem, sir?" 'Well, it was destroyed by a car.' As it happened, a guy bumped into it at slow speed. His car got the worst of it. And this only reinforces what I've said for a solid 13 years [Quickie commercial coming] If you want a power wheelchair that lasts, get a Quickie. They're fast, obviously, and they're tanks. Heck, my old one still would work, but the batteries ar
13 comments
Read more