Friends in Truth

Aside

Friends in the Truth

Drinking their coffee slowly, savoring each sip of their drinks, the two men in their late 20s were enjoying their discussion about truth and God. One was of average height, slight of built, but not thin, with a strong wiry appearance, he might be an athlete. His sharp blue eyes spoke of intensity and commitment. Together with his athletic posture and the intensity in his eyes, his demeanor spoke of a vibrancy that could express itself in emotive, though controlled, outpourings. Yes, he must be intense, emotive, but in control of his very self. A woman might see in him a perfect lover….but he could not be used by her. Any relationship with him would require a careful, thoughtful handling. He might be a volcano, but one who could thoughtfully control himself.  Yes, a lover, but one who could be had by only one.

The friend, who was sharing time with him, enjoying the coffee and conversation, was quite tall; he was overweight, but not fat. Possessing an unathletic posture, his slumped shoulders indicated that he may have spent many hours leaning on a desk reading books and writing detailed accounts of his thoughts about the contents of the books. His clear, contemplative brown eyes indicated a mind that paid attention to details and a willingness to question what he had read. The emotive explosive countenance in his friend was not to be found in him. He was a thinker, one who noticed every detail. He could be very aggressive and combative when he was challenged by a lazy pseudo thinker. No one could compete with is mental acuity. A woman might not be attracted to him. Yet he was also a lover. He and his friend, very different in so many ways, loved the same person…intensely so.

They both loved the same person, yet not in a competitive manner. They came to their love via different routes; one the mystic lover, the other the contemplative lover. Both loved with great intensity; they reached their state of loving through different avenues.  Each loved the object of their affection without any qualification; there was no hesitation in their commitment to one loved. The mystic and the thinker had as the object of their love and devotion- Jesus Christ, God.

It is true that many people come to love God through very diverse paths. There is no one personality type that arrives at Jesus Christ, God. Jesus founded His Church to be the avenue to Him and His Father for all types of persons. He only asked for two things – Love for God and love of one’s neighbor .Additionally, He left man His Church as the teacher and guide for all generations.

Love of God and neighbor with a faithfulness to His Church’s teachings on faith and morals are the marks of all devoted Catholics. They are the basic, indispensable requirements to be Catholic.  No compromises are allowed! The two friends, the mystic and the contemplative, shared this vision of faithfulness and love for Jesus and His Church.

Be faithful!

God is Watching

Aside

God Is Watching

With a disgruntled look on her face, the sister observed, “Mom knows everything; she is always watching us. She knew that I have been seeing Johnny.” Her brother defensively declared, “I did not tell her.” The sister replied, “I know, I know, but how she knew is bewildering. Johnny and I were so careful about the meeting places we selected.” Her brother commented, “Mom must have eyes in the back of her head and a special intuition. She confronted me about the amount of time I have been spending playing the video games and searching the Internet. She even knew that I was not using the Internet for class activities. Mom is always watching us; she senses everything we do.”

Mothers and some fathers possess an innate ability to observe their children, even when it appears to be impossible for them to watch over their children’s particular activities. A mother’s love for her children seems to transcend all physical limitations; at all times, her loving concern for her offspring appears to be able to overcome every obstacle. A mother is ever watchful, caring, instructing, and, occasionally, chastising to her children.  While in our youth, we often resented our mother’s intrusions in our lives, but as we aged and gained a degree of wisdom, we would gratefully proclaim, “Thank heaven for our mothers and their watchfulness.”

It is true that our mothers possess a second sense and intuitiveness about the activities of their children, which at times in our lives we wished they did not possess. Though on hindsight, we generally are thankful for our mothers’ concern and watchfulness. Oh, the troubles mothers have their saved their children by their caring attentiveness, advise, and correction. (OK, not correction, just a good old fashion scolding.) Mothers are observant to the extent that they could occasionally even penetrate into the depths of our hearts. But there are limits to even a mother’s power of observation.

With God, there are no limits to His ability to observe each one of us. Like our mothers, He knows and watches our activities, but His knowledge and understanding also penetrates into the deepest recesses of our hearts and minds. He knows us to a degree that is beyond our own knowledge of ourselves. Nothing can be hidden from Him. We all should be screaming to God in heaven, “Thank you for your intrusion into my very self.” It is God’s caring watchfulness and His loving corrections that lead us along paths he has created for us.

One person observed that many saints seemed to have “blundered into sainthood.” One wonders if the blundering was really God adjusting the course for saints as they traveled paths that could have led to destruction. Will we allow God to help us blunder our way to heaven? Will we appreciate His watchfulness and invite His intrusion into our lives? Invite Him to be watchful and then listen to Him. He will help us to “blunder our way to Him.”

Remember God is always watching us. Hopefully we will accept and follow his course corrections. If we do not, when the time comes for Him to dispense His justice, then we will suffer the consequences. St. Augustine reminds us, “Remember, we must all present ourselves before the judgment seat of Christ.”  God is always watching us….always.