Rembrandt von Rijn,
THE RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL SON.


The Muse among the mongering...

I haven't been inattentive to posting purposely; there's been a significant amount of distraction and duties that have impacted my schedule over the last month. But, moreso than those, I've had reservations about "putting myself out there" amidst so much "noise" from all corners of "my" world.
I've been truly shocked by the incessant, indefensible and wholly incoherent series of bombings of "strategic" targets, aka "non-combatant" civilians in Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan this week. I've been troubled by an apparently equally incoherent inability on the part of our national government leadership to actually govern, whether the issue is health care, the pandemic, the deployment of troops in the Middle East, the economy and banking, or whatever else is rendered unto Caesar.
I've been flummoxed at the sheer volume and shrill harping over the efforts of our Holy Father to reconcile with Christian denominations, the Orthodox, and our own divergent and perhaps schismatic Church's membership over issues, large and small, that he entreaties with charity, and is responded to with calumny and derision.
These last Sundays of the liturgical year do have, as our pastor rightly mentioned in a recent homily, a sense of urgency found in the scripture readings. That urgency reaffirms that we followers of Christ's Way have to make an ultimate decision that arbitrates nearly every thought we have and utter, and every decision and action we choose to take: are we about "power" and all that implies, or are we about "love" and all that implies? And there's nothing conditional about either of those maxims; we either live under one umbrella or the other. And the tempests and flurries of real life will yet and still try our fortitude to hold onto that umbrella, moment by moment, day by day, year by year.
To those who would think I'm an enemy- I offer you my love. To those who have loved me and I've offended that love- I offer my apology, sorrow and regret and repent of that sin in order to receive your love again. To my God, my Creator; His Son, my Redeemer and Lord; and the Spirit who counsels and comforts me- I love You with an undying, unyielding faith. And because of that, I will yield my self, my "power," and whatever other trappings of this earthly existence, as an offering in kind, substance and unity with Christ's redemptive sacrifice. And I will likely fail in holiness and truth. But I still choose "love."

Anima Christi, sanctifica me.
Corpus Christi, salva me.
Sanguis Christi, inebria me.
Aqua lateris Christi, lava me.
Passio Christi, conforta me.
O bone Jesu, exaudi me.
Intra tua vulnera absconde me.
Ne permittas me separari a te.
Ab hoste maligno defende me.
In hora mortis meae voca me.
Et iube me venire ad te,
Ut cum Sanctis tuis laudem te.
In saecula saeculorum.
Amen