A Sunday Thought About a World Gone By

With summer 2021 now quickly passing into history, let's take in a little history on this Sunday. We'll look back to a world gone by. 

Of course, all of the past is gone by, just as the the future remains beyond our grasp, unfulfilled. We learn that - at least in our spiritual lives - all that matters is the Present Moment. 

We use caps for "Present Moment" simply to emphasize its importance. Those of us who read good spiritual works have likely come across this concept of the Present Moment. It's spoken or by many Catholic spiritual writers. 

When I first came across the idea of the Present Moment, I likely took it in stride, then brushed it aside. At first blush, it just seemed sort of obvious: Right, the present, here and now, is the Present Moment...and? 

Having not paid close attention to the spiritual writers who offered their thoughts on the matter, likely having raced through whatever they wrote, the first inklings of this incredibly important concept passed by, much to my great loss.

By the grace of God, though, the Present Moment kept came up again, from time to time. At some point, the importance of developing both a deeper understanding sunk in. And with that understanding, the effort to live solely in the Present Moment began. That effort continues today with occasional success. Mostly, though, "falling short" better describes those efforts. 

Assuming we understand the importance of keeping ourselves praying and working (ora et labora) in the Present Moment, that doesn't make history meaningless. The past can teach much. In our current age, history remains a mystery to too many of us. Nevertheless, spending time studying it, and learning the lessons it offers can be time well spent. 

Here's a good illustration of that point. It's a passage written at the beginning of the 20th century - some time before 1910. It describes that world gone by we referenced at the beginning of our post. 

If we place this passage next to what's going on in our world and our Church today, we'll find a rather stark comparison. Depending on your viewpoint, one or the other will stand out as - let's put it charitably - unflattering. 

In the deadly fight with the world, the flesh, and the devil, man has not been left to skirmish without visible commanders, or to go blindly forward among pitfalls and am bushes, where every step may be into the jaws of certain death. The Catholic Church is a regular army, perfectly organized, with its known and acknowledged commander, its generals and officers, its marshalled rank and file, its complete law and order. The armies of heaven are its type and pattern. Our Holy Father in Rome is the vicegerent of the great King of kings and Lord of lords. The Almighty Ruler of time and eternity has given us a visible representative of His majesty and an infallible interpreter of His will. It is for us to follow that vicegerent "whither he goeth, and never desert him, knowing that his cause is the cause of God." 

Hard as it might be to believe, but our Holy Catholic Church - at least as it is organized in this world, in this life - was as described in this world gone by. Then the tsunami or asteroid (take your pick) of the 1960s and Vatican II dismembered the hierarchy and order described. Many of our brethren ceased either believing in or practicing their Faith. What we were left with has, over time, found many Catholics in some combination of mindless drift or ignorance. 

Well, let's leave it at that. If you know what's up, you don't need us to beat that dead horse. If you don't, you may be scratching your head. Let's hope you're in the former rather than the latter camp.

Nothing in this passage from the past rings a bell or adds up to what surrounds us these days. Not saying the past was perfect, but the present has me, for one - given a choice - leaning towards what once was.

Then again, what is simply is. Knowing that, it's best if we remind ourselves that God put us here at this time, in our present circumstances for some specific reason or reasons. Rather than pine for a world gone by, or complain about the present, we might instead be grateful that He has such confidence in us as to allow us to be among those stranded in a seemingly alien world that clearly cannot go on as it has. And that means that each of us will play at least some role in shaping the future - the world that eventually will come.

...unless, of course, He's decided that enough is enough and descends on clouds of glory from on high. He will do that someday, as you likely know.

But until He does, at the very least, we need to attend to the sanctity of our souls. We'll be of no good use to Him unless we're not only the state of grace, but also actively seeking to grow closer to Him, to learn to love Him more and more with each passing day.

And if the world gets better because of our individual efforts, bravo. If not, we'll at least have known we won't be counted among those who made the mess we're in.

It's something.

Happy Sunday!