I picked up a little booklet for lent at a church I go to for mass on Friday nights. My old parish used to give these books away. I was surprised to see a question about these little books on a blog of a priest. He suggested there is only so much time in this world to read things, why not read something that you know is beneficial - and not this little book. Oh dear.
Well, I didn't know anything about the book. I made the assumption (always the wrong thing to do) that since it was given away at a Catholic church, it was in keeping with Catholicism. I should know better than that!
So, how do I know who to listen to? I pray, and I pray a lot. God has blessed me with what one of my friends described as a great "b.s. detector." That is good, but I still have used my own defective judgement from time to time, even though I have had a nagging thought that I was wrong, but it simply was more convenient to be wrong than right.
I am blessed to live in a society where I have the freedom to own a Holy Bible. I can reference the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I read great Catholic authors. And I make use of wonderful educational opportunities provided by my archdiocese, so that I will be armed with even more knowledge, and therefore discernment.
I have learned that Jesus isn't a sweet guy with blonde hair and blue eyes who doesn't demand anything of me. Reading actual scripture disabused me of many of my misconceptions about the God of the Old Testament, and Jesus of the New Testament. All I need to do is reflect on the Crucified Christ to know that this is not some sweet guy. This was bloody, painful, and brutal. But was transformed into the salvation of the world.
This is not the sweet life. In my experience, this is the difficult life. But it is the good life.
(sorry, this post is disjointed. I am in a hurry and not really awake yet.)
Have a beautiful day.
Sorry this is going to be such a huge comment but your words reminded me of Jesus, speaking of Himself and what would happen to Him and those who followed Him:
ReplyDeletePeter’s Declaration about Jesus. Mark 8.27-38 from the New living translation
27 Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
28 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets.”
29 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.[b]”
30 But Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
Jesus Predicts His Death
31 Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man[c] must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. 32 As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.[d]
33 Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?[e] 37 Is anything worth more than your soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Wow, MC, (staying on safe ground here for your name :)
ReplyDeleteWe must be on the same wavelength. I wrote about the Bible and books today also. My musings are not as thoughtful, lol, but it is interesting we were thinking about this.
Mary Christine,
ReplyDeleteDo you mean little booklets like the Pieta? I always grab the free booklets people leave for others at the back of the church! Like you, I guess I assumed that they were helpful. But the Pieta book wasn't very helpful to me when I was first converted because it actually aggravated my scrupulosity. It was that long series of prayers that had to be done for a certain long amount of time that kept throwing me for a loop. I think I might have even been uncharitable a few times just so I could make it home early enough to get those prayers done. Sad, but true! I'm embarrassed when I think back to some of the things I did out of fear in those early days.
Mary, no it is the "little black book" published by the Diocese of Saginaw.
ReplyDelete