Photo: by Georges Shaloul, Paris.
18 December 2013
Sorry, My Friend! I missed my own deadline by a day but it gave me time to think about making commitments and then not keeping them. Or maybe that's at the heart of our discussion for today. My own worst self-criticism is I can't stand to be late for anything or people who are, even though I lived in other cultures where being on time for anything is no big deal. My six years in the Fleet Marine Force taught me that being on time could mean the difference between life and death. Emergency Medical professionals and Police and Fire professionals live their lives with this basic rule. America's English and German roots set the standard for our chronic demand for punctuality in all things. I find it amazing (and I try to be humorous about it,) that with all of today's modern technology and conveniences, and working people now having more time on their hands due to it, laggards are still in abundance and walking among us. My main irritant is this: they choose to be that way and drive the rest of us nuts. For some, there is always a legitimate and warranted excuse. For the majority who never quite get the Big Picture, there's no hope. The early bird will always get their worm, their best seat in the house, the best parking space.
When you and I started this discussion it was prompted by my declaration of my love for my wife and my love of the Church. You found the statement interesting and I thought it normal. I love to tell everyone I meet (if the talk touches on the way I lead my personal life,) that I really only made two major decisions in my life: I married Connie and I decided to come into Communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Everything in my life springs from those two decisions. All other decisions are superfluous. There were other life-changing decisions for sure, but we have to analyze the most important ones; the ones that give us life. I therefore made the two heaviest commitments of my life. Why should I not take those two commitments seriously?
Why should I not take them seriously when they deal with life-giving and forming the basis of who I am as a person and how I'm going to live my life? I have to continually qualify these discussions with the caveat that these were my choices (or God's? Ah! the Mystery!) and my life has been wonderful because of those choices. It's been my life and the way I committed to live it. I have to allow and recognize other choices for how people want to live their lives.
When I decided to come into Communion with the Church I made a commitment to remain in Communion. That is the beauty of who we are as Catholics. We are never or ought not to be, turned away from the Great Table. I always chuckle when I hear a person refer to themselves as an Ex-Catholic. That doesn't exist. That decision as to who is going to be what or whom is God's decision - and has nothing to do with the silly machinations of men. It's the mystery of life. I'd rather be a dollar short and happy, than have all the riches in the world and be miserable. My two decisions and my commitment to them have made me a very happy man, indeed.
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