A Sunday Thought to Start the Week Off Right
We just had our first extended heat wave here in the Northeast. Since I've never been a fan of hot, humid weather, these always cause a degree of consternation. Then again, there's not much you can do about the weather, right?
Which all reminds me, on this summer Sunday, of the importance of patience and endurance. Apply these consistently and you can weather any heat wave. In fact, you can even weather anything that's not your cup of tea. A couple of items that spring to mind today: politics and our Catholic Church's hierarchy. Let's take each in order.
Some people love politics. A good friend spends considerable time and effort following the machinations of American politics. He's pretty good at knowing the facts and understanding what's going on. Whenever I'm confused about a political subject, I defer to his analysis and judgement. He's usually spot on. And I do get confused more than most. It's all because I really can't stand politicians - or at least most of them. Our recent celebration of the 4th of July - Independence Day - reminded me why.
Over the years I've carefully studied not only the events, but the political and religious beliefs behind those events surrounding our War for Independence. The American colonists' decision to separate from England and form a separate nation wasn't some snap decision. For years they wanted to reconcile their disagreements with the mother country and remain loyal British subjects. What set them off was a realization that their rulers had both turned their backs on natural law and become the corrupt, grasping, domineering, authoritarian politicians that inevitably result from an all-powerful government, which the British government had become in the 18th century. As a result, when they eventually created their own government, they did all they could to curb the power of that government to mitigate the possibility that the leaders of their day, as well as those to come, might morph into the same sort of corrupted, grasping, domineering, authoritarian politicians as those in Britain.
It was a sincere, solid, initially somewhat successful attempt. Unfortunately, over time, as the federal government became the centralized all-powerful beast that it is today, the politicians that aspire to run it have turned into just the types that so irked our forefathers. While we could discuss and debate what we can do about this - or indeed if it's possible to do anything about it at this point - one way of dealing with it is our two friends: patience and endurance. Not that we should passively accept corruption and injustice; but rather than let this fire you up and possibly drive you crazy, just turn down the heat with some patience and endurance. You'll be able to think and act more rationally, and likely more effectively, if you do. Whether there's any hope that Trump or anyone else can "drain the swamp" and hit the re-set button, so far, not so good. But you never know.
As for the hierarchy (leaders) of our Holy Mother Church, the situation isn't much better. So many of our bishops have fallen off the wagon that we have to keep reminding ourselves that: a) Our Lord guaranteed He would be with us until the end of time; b) He sent His Holy Spirit to guide us and ultimately keep us on the straight and narrow. Of course, none of this guarantees a smooth ride, as we've come to know in recent decades. And if we also recall that these men are mere mortals, subject to the same sorts of temptations we all face, it might mitigate the pain a little. Then again, when it gets to the point where some of them spout screwey, if not outright heretical pronouncements, telling ourselves they're "only human" may not do the trick. So, again, patience and endurance might help here.
A further suggestion: Why not take a few minutes on this summer Sunday to assess the state of your spiritual life. The more robust, the better. If it's a bit weak, think about what you can do to bolster it. And remind yourself that each of us bears the responsibility of seeking salvation for ourselves before we try to change what we think needs fixing.
With that, I hope this Sunday brings you the patience and endurance we all need to live a holy life.
Which all reminds me, on this summer Sunday, of the importance of patience and endurance. Apply these consistently and you can weather any heat wave. In fact, you can even weather anything that's not your cup of tea. A couple of items that spring to mind today: politics and our Catholic Church's hierarchy. Let's take each in order.
Some people love politics. A good friend spends considerable time and effort following the machinations of American politics. He's pretty good at knowing the facts and understanding what's going on. Whenever I'm confused about a political subject, I defer to his analysis and judgement. He's usually spot on. And I do get confused more than most. It's all because I really can't stand politicians - or at least most of them. Our recent celebration of the 4th of July - Independence Day - reminded me why.
Over the years I've carefully studied not only the events, but the political and religious beliefs behind those events surrounding our War for Independence. The American colonists' decision to separate from England and form a separate nation wasn't some snap decision. For years they wanted to reconcile their disagreements with the mother country and remain loyal British subjects. What set them off was a realization that their rulers had both turned their backs on natural law and become the corrupt, grasping, domineering, authoritarian politicians that inevitably result from an all-powerful government, which the British government had become in the 18th century. As a result, when they eventually created their own government, they did all they could to curb the power of that government to mitigate the possibility that the leaders of their day, as well as those to come, might morph into the same sort of corrupted, grasping, domineering, authoritarian politicians as those in Britain.
It was a sincere, solid, initially somewhat successful attempt. Unfortunately, over time, as the federal government became the centralized all-powerful beast that it is today, the politicians that aspire to run it have turned into just the types that so irked our forefathers. While we could discuss and debate what we can do about this - or indeed if it's possible to do anything about it at this point - one way of dealing with it is our two friends: patience and endurance. Not that we should passively accept corruption and injustice; but rather than let this fire you up and possibly drive you crazy, just turn down the heat with some patience and endurance. You'll be able to think and act more rationally, and likely more effectively, if you do. Whether there's any hope that Trump or anyone else can "drain the swamp" and hit the re-set button, so far, not so good. But you never know.
As for the hierarchy (leaders) of our Holy Mother Church, the situation isn't much better. So many of our bishops have fallen off the wagon that we have to keep reminding ourselves that: a) Our Lord guaranteed He would be with us until the end of time; b) He sent His Holy Spirit to guide us and ultimately keep us on the straight and narrow. Of course, none of this guarantees a smooth ride, as we've come to know in recent decades. And if we also recall that these men are mere mortals, subject to the same sorts of temptations we all face, it might mitigate the pain a little. Then again, when it gets to the point where some of them spout screwey, if not outright heretical pronouncements, telling ourselves they're "only human" may not do the trick. So, again, patience and endurance might help here.
A further suggestion: Why not take a few minutes on this summer Sunday to assess the state of your spiritual life. The more robust, the better. If it's a bit weak, think about what you can do to bolster it. And remind yourself that each of us bears the responsibility of seeking salvation for ourselves before we try to change what we think needs fixing.
With that, I hope this Sunday brings you the patience and endurance we all need to live a holy life.
Happy Sunday!
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