Sunday Musings

 

8/21/2022

    Dear W.H.R.

    (Whoever Happens to be Reading)

    Praised be Jesus Christ!

    For whatever reason, I think a lot while I’m brushing my teeth. It’s just one of those moments during the day when my brain seems particularly active, and conjures thoughts that I might not necessarily think about at any other time. I cover a wide range of subjects, and then some; the majority probably being a waste of time, more than anything else. But every so often, I’ll think of something interesting. 

Recently, during the course of one of these “thoughts and teeth” sessions, I put myself in the shoes of one who has left the Church, so to speak. Now, to preface, the thought of people leaving the Church is not exclusive to the period of time in which it takes me to brush my teeth. This is something I often think about. However, in this instance, I was digging a little deeper, and in some ways, attempting to sympathize with fallen-away Catholics. And to be honest, I found that a fairly easy task to do.

The world gives us so much to hold on and attach ourselves to; it offers us material and tangible good; it gives us things to work for, things we can apply ourselves to, and feel a sense of accomplishment when completed, among other rewards for our labor. This is the world into which we are born and raised, and we cannot deny that it never fails to suggest a remedy to humanity’s ever-growing ailments.

In light of this, under the context of what we know and are taught, Catholicism demands an incredible price. Furthermore, mere belief in God demands a lot. For, if we truly believe that a God, Who is all good and all loving, created us of His own free and good will; if we profess faith in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Sacrifice He made for our Salvation; in the Holy Spirit, Whom dwells within us; and in the promise of eternal life with Him in Heaven-shouldn’t that move us to go beyond the boundaries of our concupiscence, the fruit of our fallen nature, and then direct our whole lives to that end which we profess?

If we were to compare our own littleness with the incomprehensible grandeur of God, and to the immeasurable graces, mercies, and blessings He has bestowed on us, wouldn’t we be confronted with the sense-even if to the slightest degree-of a debt to be owed. But if we look at it properly, we could hardly think the debt miserable or discouraging. No, I think it would be more like a call to holiness, a call to conform our beings to the One Who breathes life into us. Surely a call to gratitude, but more so, one of love. 

Herein lies the issue. For, if the glory of our God transcends the glory of created things (as a creator naturally transcends the creation, though the created be in the image of its creator), then surely our response to this debt, or call, should reach above those created things, and fix itself on the Creator. How easy it is to say such things! But when put to the test, it is a struggle even a saint would grapple with. The world has numbed us to the unseen, drawing us deeper into the attachment of the temporal, the tangible, and even, the immoral. It works on us in the shadows, so slowly that we do not even realize what it’s doing. And so, when we are called to renounce these things (insofar as they hold us back), when we are called to a humble solitude within ourselves, which fosters our relationship with our Lord Who dwells in the quiet depths of our souls, our first reaction may be to smile at the beauty of the visible words. But when put to the test, when we try to act upon those words, there is an inclination to be repulsed and discomforted, to reach for the material comforts or occupations instead. 

O Lord! How we turn away from You, our one and true good. Shower Your grace upon us, for “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mt. 26:42) 

God, grant me the grace to turn away from the world; turn my heart away from these things, and fix my gaze solely on You, Who are all my good. Fill me with love for You! Pure love, untainted by even the slightest imperfections!

I am weak, but in Your goodness, make me strong; without You, I am nothing. Ah! Who am I to request, so boldly, of You? Remember, Lord, the Sacrifice of Your Son, and His great love for us, for therein rests my confidence! 

And all of these things, O Lord, grant not only to me, but to all of Your faithful servants, to all Who seek you, and to all Who do not yet know You!

Grant this, through Christ our Lord,

Amen.