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A friend of mine has been accused of something horrible. Heinous. It's the sort of thing you never get your reputation back from, even if it isn't true. Even though I have gotten to know him, and the whole thing has the ring of someone accusing Mother Theresa of greed, I admit I have strongly considered the possibility of its truth. I'm compelled by harsh reality to prepare myself for that outcome. To be perfectly honest, even though I'm the biggest optimist I know, I have a little voice that says, "Trust no one." It may well be the voice of the evil one himself, for all I know. But you don't live these 32 years without admitting in all frankness that the voice has a point.
This friend is prominent and important, so there is no shortage of opinions on the thing. But today I was shown again how the Scripture comes alive in the Catholic Church--for good and ill--in a special way. A woman approached me, asked me if I would be seeing so-and-so, and I replied in the affirmative. She then told me to tell them that she was starting a "Friends Of X" group if they or anyone else wanted to join. Then she gave her opinion. I knew right then I ought not pass that info on. I heard the Apostle Paul say by way of reminder, "I have heard there are factions among you."
I love my friend. I hope the things people have said are not true. Even if they are, I'm pretty certain I'll still love him, even though I'll be sad and mad. That's what Jesus does to us: He shows us that God has never stopped loving us. We killed him, and He loves us more. It makes no sense, and yet it does.
Do you know that you are special? You are special because Jesus loves you. He made you and me, and after we fouled ourselves and the creation, Jesus loved us to the point of death, death on a cross. As it is written, "God showed his love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

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