Satan's Siren Song: The Sin of Presumption
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A Reflection given at the Knights of Columbus combined meeting on February 4, 2025.
Our journey of discipleship with Jesus Christ is a lifelong process that guides us along a path of service, prayer, and fellowship. This journey is filled with predictable and unexpected opportunities to grow in grace and respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. To continue on this path, it is essential to periodically reflect on our spiritual lives.
In a previous reflection titled "The Two Questions of St. Augustine," I discussed the two questions posed by the esteemed Saint and Doctor of the Church: "What is God to me?" and "What am I to God?" These questions serve as valuable prompts for reflecting on our spiritual lives. Today, I will focus on the question, "What am I to God?" in the journey to Emmaus.
The Road to Emmaus narrates the story of two disciples walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus. These disciples engage in a deep discussion about the recent events in Jerusalem, particularly the death of Jesus. They wrestle with a mix of emotions, including doubt, confusion, fear, and anxiety about their uncertain future.
Roads have long served as a significant symbol in literature and song. Artists infuse an allegorical image of a road through prose, melody, and lyrics. The picture they create is often drawn from deep personal experiences. Roads represent the pathway of human existence and struggle in life. Some well-known songs that come to mind are "The Long and Winding Road" by the Beatles, "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" from The Wizard of Oz, and "On the Road Again" by Willie Nelson.
The Beatles’ song illustrates Paul McCartney’s personal and emotional, yet unsuccessful, struggle to heal his wounded relationship with John Lennon. “Follow the Yellow Brick Road” speaks of an orderly pursuit of our heart’s desires, trusting in the morally virtuous nature of God’s creation to guide and shield us along a journey of challenge and self-discovery. The lively harmonica and guitar-infused “On the Road Again” captures the excitement and anticipation of the long-awaited moment to break free from our tick-tock, muck-and-mire existence and embrace the freedom of travel, companionship, and a life well lived.
The disciples have just gone through a profound personal and spiritual experience. The crucifixion and death of Jesus have deeply affected them, to the point where it seems they intend to revert to their familiar lifestyle, watching and waiting for the next coming of their Messiah. This brings to mind another road song that gets to the heart of this reflection. "Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road" by Loudon Wainwright III resonates with many of us when our faith is suddenly disrupted. The refrain of the song is:
“You got yer
Dead skunk in the middle of the road
Dead skunk in the middle of the road
You got yer dead skunk in the middle of the road
Stinkin' to high Heaven!”
We risk becoming paralyzed when our lives are shaken. We want the pain to vanish and long to return to the familiar days when life made sense, and our purpose was clear. I can hear the dull tone and demeanor of the two disciples. Their conversation reveals their lost hope and shattered faith. As they slowly walk along the road, they gradually resemble the traits of a freshly run-over skunk. But Jesus draws near to the two men. Jesus isn’t bothered by their skunk-ness, but politely and unassumingly joins their conversation. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus gradually peels their flattened spirits from the road. He infuses his spirit into them with his divine Word as he recounts all that Sacred Scripture reveals about him. He reminds them of all they witnessed when he walked among them. He resurrects them from the muck and mire of their shattered hopes and dreams. His presence refreshes and revitalizes their spirit.
What follows distinguishes a disciple from a skunk: desire, a vital trait of humans characterized by a deep-rooted longing or craving that drives one to achieve or possess something. The disciples desire to rise above their skunk-ness. They feel a revival of their mission. The Stranger ignites an insatiable craving within them. The disciples invite the traveler to stay with them as their hunger intensifies. They discover that their heart's desire never left them. They recognize what they are to God!
Worthy Knights, we understand that life’s challenges can be daunting and may lead us to the verge of giving up. Our founder and patron, Blessed Fr. McGivney, traversed many paths of true discipleship. In his time and circumstance, his was a road of healing those lost in their faith, helping those whose lives were filled with muck-and-mire, and overcoming challenges from injustice and poverty. His journey was marked by sacrifice, generosity, and compassion. However, he encourages us to walk alongside Jesus and one another in fraternity, lest we become like dead skunks in the middle of the road. His example of a living faith inspires us to approach our troubled neighbor and support them on their journey through personal loss or struggle. Here, we discover what we are to God. Through his intercession, may we magnify the love of God, the love for our neighbor, and a life well lived as we fulfill our mission with Jesus.
Vivat Jesus,
SK Paul Thomas, Lecturer, Council 15659
“Peace is the tranquility of order.” St. Thomas Aquinas
A video and song of "Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road" by Loudon Wainwright III is at this address:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu5hzc2Mei4
My wife, Kathy, and I have been married for over 22 years. We have a combined 8 children and 15 grandchildren. I am a retired maintenance specialist having served various heat processing industries for over 50 years. I have been a Minister of the Word since 1974. I belong to dynamic men's prayer and scripture study groups at St. Lucy and St. Paul the Apostle Parishs in Racine, Wisconsin. I have been a Lecturer with the Knights of Columbus since 2018. I look forward to hearing from you at pthomas3851@att.net.
