Greater Sin

Grouchy Monday?

Some years ago a television program documented chimpanzees fighting off other, murderous chimpanzees who would snatch infants, tear them apart and eat them. The eerily horrifying inhumanity of animals with whom we share 98% of DNA returns to mind as a political movement wins followers by murder and unspeakable cruelty, speaking horror of the human race. Let me off the bus at the next stop.

Volkswagen perversion. Power, greed that perverts technology designed to protect us, perverted dangerously against us for profit. Resignations, forced retirements, AYFSM? Lengthy prison terms, crushingly bankruptive fines personal and corporate. Or check how such crime would be punished in China or Iran. Caught, pervert, hold out your hand for a light smack on the palm. Disturbing to find the evil character of a company whose products I’ve loved, trusted and owned but will never again consider. GM’s deadly ignition switch? Toyota’s sticking accelerator? Ford’s Firestone tires? Who to trust? Schwinn?

Preaching the gospel as Vicar of Christ, and leading by example, this pope is against greed, oppression, economic manipulation, abuse, selfishness, not only across society, but within the greedy, oppressive, abusive, manipulative, selfish, Church obsessed with medieval laws, that he sees around him. For? What is he for? He is for mercy, generosity, nonjudgmental lovingkindness to each other, beginning at home in the family, as we personify Jesus.

Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world: this Bread means Jesus loves you, as you accept it, you accept Him and He becomes part of you, inspiring you to become what He is. Unconditionally, you are invited and welcome to receive the Bread and Him. Baptized, you acquire an inalienable right to the Body of Christ that not even a piously overzealous parent has the right to deny. My scenario of Sin: a baptized child eagerly holds out his hands to receive the Bread, only to have his parent slap his hands in and cross his arms for a blessing instead of Bread, saying, “I want him to understand it first.” My response, “Hell, man, it’s the love of God: I’m eighty years old and I don’t understand it myself.” My testy, impatient temptation is to give the child the Bread and refuse Communion to the parent, who clearly does not understand it. Who is guilty of the greater sin? The parent who denies Christ the love of God to the child? Probably me, the certitudinous old priest. 

"Inspiring" means the infusing of the Spirit.

Up on the wrong side of the wee bed this morning, were we, Father? 

Thos+ a rainy Monday, and still mucking along