Living in a tilted land

My husband and I spent the past few days in Lancaster, PA with my sister enjoying all the pleasures of the Amish countryside and each other’s company. As I sat drinking my morning coffee I noticed a tilted picture on the wall in the breakfast room. It wasn’t very tilted but I’m a little OCD when it comes to things being straight and balanced. It got me thinking about how out of balance life is these days on planet earth. 

Do you ever feel like you are walking on a tilted plane? Every step is a challenge with the likelihood of falling. If you sit down on a tilted bench, you feel like you are falling off. Eating is a challenge because all the dishes want to slide off the table. What would it be like to never have a moment's rest, but to always need to be vigilant so we don't fall, including falling out of bed.

Isn't that where we are these days in the Church? Everything seems tilted. A porn book author runs CDF and seems to have a perpetual smirk on his face. The pope lets the Communist Chinese government choose bishops while the underground Church is persecuted. Bishops are named cardinals who endorse sodomite relationships and favor women's ordination. The so-called archbishop of Canterbury, whose consecration is completely invalid, blesses clergy who actually make the sign of the cross. The path through this Valley of Tears is completely skewed!

What's a body to do? We need hiking poles and good solid hiking boots, not to mention bug spray, and a good hat. And the most essential assistance -- faithful guides who know the territory and can help one avoid treacherous ground and quicksand.

I think using bug spray on Fernandez and all the dissent-preaching clerics might wipe the smirks off their faces. Speaking the truth in charity acts like a good bug repellant. All the hiking accoutrements represent Sacred Scripture (not the new USCCB "gay-washed" translation), Sacred Tradition, and the guidance of the saints, doctors of the Church, and the encyclicals of faithful popes. They help us keep our balance in this tilted world. 

Daily prayer and the rosary can straighten out our own little stretch of planet earth and show us the road ahead with all its ups and downs. And if it gets too uncomfortable a swim eliminates the tilt for a time. I call that a retreat and I'm scheduled for one in July. 

Hope your day is a level one. You know what they say about keeping a level head. Stay calm in whatever difficult situation you meet and trust in God Who has all things under control. And don't forget to take your guardian angel's hand, a sure guide in a tilted world.