and other things…of course
There are many things about the Catholic faith that trouble many Protestants. We have devotion to the saints, and especially towards the Blessed Mother. We ask them to accompany us in our lives to pray for us and with us to bring us into deeper union with the Holy Trinity, with Christ Jesus. We understand that there is only one ‘Body-Of-Christ’ and in that Body, includes all who have died in the love of God. For Catholics this is obvious, for those other Christians it can seem bizarre, pagan, something to be avoided at all cost. While many non-Catholics understand the Catholic’s church understanding of our relationship with those who have died, there are many more that do not, cannot and for some, simply will not. I think that is OK. I think I have hit my head against a brick-wall enough in my life. When you hit your head against a brick wall, the only thing that changes is the injured, bloody, skinned forehead but the wall is the same once the blood is washed off.
Once a month our community has a day on which we remember and pray for those who have gone before us. Not just for members of our community, but for all who have died. Many believe that after death, we are in union with God. Well, I guess you can say we are always at union with God, for in Him we live and move and have our being. Yet there may be no personal relationship on any one person’s part. Or a relationship that is held back by life’s pounding and when we sin in response to the harshness of life, we wound our souls further.
The ‘Dark Night of the Soul’ is part of the healing process. It is a time either in this life or in the next where the soul becomes passive in the sense that God is allowed to continue his redemptive will for the soul. Which is to heal all that keeps this union with God at bay, for there comes a time when the Soul must be cleansed by the Fire of the Holy Spirit, where all that is dross is burned away in the passionate love that is manifested in the power of the Holy Spirit? It is pure grace.
So today we join our prayers with our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus and pray for all who have gone before us. I have met many non-Catholics from all denominations who also pray for those who have passed on. Many have come to this on their own, for it makes sense to them. So we pray together as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Some non-Catholics believe that if you are Catholic, well, there will be a surprise after death…..we will all go to hell. They get insulted if you call them a brother or sister in Christ, yet as far as I am concerned, they are my brothers and sisters in the Lord, no matter what they think. To be fair, we do have some Catholics who think this about all non-Catholics that they are going to be the ones to be surprised. Yes they go to hell. It can be really silly…..perhaps we are more childish than childlike.
It is amazing how strong beliefs can makes us really ‘stoopid’. By that I mean we force our minds to smother and become hateful, mean, cruel and even sadistic in the name of religion. Jesus did smile and laugh, he also wept. I wonder what he is doing with all the silly nonsense that goes on between, different Christians. Of courts politics makes us just as ‘stoopid’ I believe.
Hmmmm lets me see, sports may do that at times. How else would middle aged over weight men paint their bodies with war paint and dance half naked in front of millions of people on TV….though this kind of ‘stoopid’ is really benign as long as they don’t try to kill people on the opposing teams side. This does happen in other parts of the world.
Yeah, we really need to pray for one another….I am the one first in line for that need of prayer. I can go crazy over a little league game, though I doubt I will every put war paint over my body and dance in front of millions of people. That would scare the little ones for sure.
Br. Mark Dohle, OCSO
Holy Spirit Monastery
