| The face of a woman devoted to ignorance and blindness. The truth is not in her! |
All of us "see through a glass darkly" because of sin. We can choose to remain in the dark or move toward the light. The more we move into the light of Christ, the more clearly we see the truth about the world around us. And the first requirement for living in the truth is to see the truth.
Today's Office of Readings has a section from a homily on Leviticus by the priest Origen, an early Christian scholar and theologian. This is what struck me:
You are never to walk in darkness; the great and final day is not to enfold you in darkness. Do not let the night and mist of ignorance steal upon you. So that you may always enjoy the light of knowledge, keep always in the daylight of faith, hold fast always to the light of love and peace.
How many are living in the "mist of ignorance" with no faith in anything but the world and its false promises. And who is the prince of this world? Lucifer, the "light-bearer" who snuffed out his light through rebellion against God and made himself nothing. Because that's what darkness is -- nothing! It is simply the absence of light.
To turn out the light of truth means to live in nothingness! Many are probably not culpable for their ignorance, but others live in willful and malicious ignorance and, in fact, flaunt it before the world saying "We see." Think of Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden and other "Catholic" politicians who engage in continuous blasphemy against God and his commandments. "We're devout Catholics," they lie as they conspire to murder God's precious babies and the vulnerable elderly and impaired and steal from the taxpayers.
Jesus pointed out the culpability of willful blindness:
And Jesus said: For judgment I am come into this world; that they who see not, may see; and they who see, may become blind. And some of the Pharisees, who were with him, heard: and they said unto him: Are we also blind?Jesus said to them: If you were blind, you should not have sin: but now you say: We see. Your sin remaineth. [John 9: 39-41]
The best way to become clear-sighted and to walk in the light is to embrace the Sacraments and fill oneself with the holy Word of God. Ignorance of scripture, as St. Jerome said, is ignorance of Christ. Have you read the Bible today or the readings for Holy Mass. What a great practice to dispel the "mist of ignorance" and a wonderful Lenten practice as well. May these last weeks of Lent benefit us all as we move toward the great light of Easter!
One of the thoughts that inspires my greatest fear of the afterlife is a negative judgement, crossing the River Styx, sailing under the sign “Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here”, and knowing I can never pray another Rosary; Hail Mary’s mean nothing there; Confession and absolution are closed; God does not hear my prayers and aspirations.
ReplyDeleteAnd so, while we have time, precious time .... seek the Light, while He still may be found and His merciful face is still turned toward you.
6 Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found: call upon him, while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unjust man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God: for he is bountiful to forgive. (Is 55:6,7)