Another battle line has been drawn...

...yet this line isn't really new, neither are any of the previous lines that the enemy has drawn.  The tactic he's using isn't new either; in fact, it's one of the same ones that our enemy has been using since he and his followers rebelled.  If it's from the predictable cache of tactics that he uses, why do we fall for it over and over again?  He makes it so attractive and easy for us that we want to fall for it.  We fall for it because we've let our guard down;  we may believe that he doesn't exist anymore,he never did exist, or he's given up the fight.  Those who are still on their guard, who know he's out there, that know he's put some plan into motion, may be mocked and ridiculed.  "You're being paranoid; let your guard down; why won't you loosen up?"  But they know that they can't, they're not being paranoid.  Of course, even though they are vigilant, they should not let themselves be blocked from living, with all of the joys and sorrows that living brings, as that's something the enemy takes advantage of as well.

So, what's this particular tactic he uses when he (or others, perhaps even the ones who were supposed to be on guard themselves) convinces people that he's not a threat anymore? A mix of relativism and tolerant intolerance.  Once we have become lax, we are presented with a situation, let's say something very simple, like pre-marital sex.  We may be drawn into it slowly, until the next "logical" step is sex.  "We've come this far, we're not hurting anyone, it feels good, it makes us happy, and we love each other.  Why shouldn't we be able to?  We're even going to be getting married.  It could be worse, it could be just a one night stand."  It's so easy for us to rationalize and defend our actions and decisions.  Then we become tolerant of our actions, accept it.  We think other people can do what they want; if they want to have sex that's great, whether it's inside or outside marriage, or whether it's with one partner or multiple partners.  You know, we'd never have multiple partners at the same time, but if that's what they want to do and we don't think it's hurting us, hey, let them be.  And for those that aren't having sex at all (those poor people who don't know what they're missing), you know, good for them.  If they don't believe in sex before marriage, that's great (they're naive, but hey, if that's what they want to do).  We may needle them a bit, give them some trouble for being prudes, but they know it's harmless, right?  As long as they don't try to tell us what's right or wrong.  "Hey, we may all be Catholics, but you think you can just involve yourself in what I'm doing behind closed doors?! You're the one who's being stupid: you think people can just not have sex before marriage?  You need to test drive-it; if you two don't get along in the bedroom, you won't be married long."  People who try to show others the truth are ridiculed; those who have finally seen how they are mistaken are ridiculed even more.  People are told they are not being loving towards others and they aren't accepting others for who they are.  They need to loosen up, people having sex outside of marriage isn't anything bad, after all, it's not like they're murdering people.

That's not the only situation that we are faced with today, but it is one.  Maybe you know who this enemy is: Satan.  He doesn't push us into anything, he shows us the options; he shows us the attractiveness of the options; after all, there's no real downside for him.  We make the decisions, we bind ourselves deeper into the mire; we blind ourselves because we don't want to see the truth; then he shows us more options and it's all downhill.  It's so easy, we don't even have to think.  Yet, the trumpet sounds constantly to regroup, to return to Jesus.  We continually face a spiritual battle, let us not refuse constant input from our leader and those who has put in charge of us; let us not deprive ourselves of that which he has given us to fight this battle; let us not deprive ourselves of what he has given to us for healing and strengthening: the Sacraments.  Let us also be on our guard for ourselves and our neighbors.  Do not let me, yourselves, or others be confused by the lies that Satan and his minions have flooded these times with.  We are called to love each other, calling everyone to conversion, allowing ourselves to be called to conversion; we're not called to allow others to sit in the murk and slime of sin and death, proclaiming that as love.

In which I meander about Live Stations of the Cross

Again, been awhile.  I do have stuff to write, but I procrastinate and put off writing.  It's a bad habit, I know. So, for all of those who don't know, I'm on my internship at Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in Collinsville, IL.  It's going very well and I'm enjoying it.  However, that's not what I really want to talk about today; we'll see if I want to talk about it later.

Today's topic: Live Stations of the Cross, more specifically, one that happened between 1990-1992.  No, didn't happen during that entire period, but I was in the first years of school, and my memories of that time are hit or miss due to my youth.  One of the things I do remember is a Live Stations of the Cross, or Passion Play, that I believe my oldest brother participated in (I also believe that his CCD class put it on for the chapel parish at Langley AFB).  I do remember that the part I remember was dark, at least in the church, and I couldn't see (because I was short), but I could hear.  For between 6th-8th graders, they had good acting skills in my perception, but I was scared.  The yells and the shouts when Jesus (obviously, the boy playing him) was being crucified totally freaked me out.  Again, I was frightened.

I'll get back to that in a moment.  The reason I bring this up is because the school's 7th graders did a live Stations of the Cross in the church last night.  Their version totally reminded me of the one from my youth, as they were portraying the same event.

As I was saying, I was frightened.  But imagine how those who loved Jesus and saw Him crucified felt: terrified, shocked, I'm sure they probably were crying.  How could they understand that what Jesus was accepting was out of love, not just for them, but for all of humanity.  Love was crucified on the Cross.  It was confusing, it still is confusing.  We can't fully comprehend it.  He did it because He loves us, He still loves us, even when we, by our actions, provide more weight of sin for Him to shoulder.  This should scandalize us, each and every one of us, that we are, in a sense, ourselves nailing His hands and feet to the cross, that we are the ones scourging Him, and having Him carry the cross.

Yet, we can be the ones wiping His face, taking Him down from the cross; all love, but particularly His Love,  calls us to conversion, to conform our lives to His own.  Yes, God loves us, but He's calling us to be more than we are now, He's calling us to be saints;  He's calling us to abide in Him, so that we allow Him to abide in us.

The scandal of the cross, should not be scandalous just because those people, in Jesus' time performed His crucifixion; it should also be scandalous when we ourselves participate in crucifying Him by our actions as well.

We are all called to conversion, not to get stuck in a rut and give up, but to conform our lives to Christ.  We're called to live with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for eternal life, but it's up to us to answer and say, "Yes, Lord! I will follow.  I'll need your help, and I may fall, but please, Lord, let me keep my eyes on You."  It can be hard, but we are not hopeless cases.