The More I Know the Less I Understand
Nonsense: Trust and Pray
Photo By: Flickr/Sandeep G Menon
You know, I’ve been thinking. I don’t mind getting older. I really don’t. It’s a gift many folks never get. I’m grateful. Actually, it unencumbers you. When you reach that point, you don’t have to worry about career, or employer politics. It means nothing. Not that I ever did, mind you, but it can be said one gets grumpier as they get older. I don’t think ‘grumpier’ is the word, but less tolerant to nonsense. I never was real tolerant of it, which may have hurt me in my younger years, but that’s OK. But, one gets more honest. Sometimes brutally honest. I mean, don’t ask the question if you don’t want to hear the answer.
Which is why I’m a Catholic. It’s no nonsense. There it is, every Sunday in the readings, and in the Gospel. In the Sacraments. “This is MY body, this is MY blood”. Confession. All of it. Here is what Christ taught. There it is. Take it or leave it. No nonsense.
Many of you know that I am a big fan of Our Lady, Big fan! Christ never separated Himself from her, nor she from Him. He chose her to be His mother. He trusted in her, confided in her, and counted on her to raise Him as a child. She was along for the whole ride. Up until the day He died on the Cross, and He still had time to give her to us as our Mother. So, if it’s good enough for Him, it sure ought to be good enough for us.
But, I’m not going to get into a deep theological discussion regarding that subject in this piece. I’ll save that for another time, or you can check out some of my other contributions to Catholic365.com where I discuss that aspect a little deeper.
No, I’m going to talk about nonsense, and, I’m going to go on a little rant.
This world is full of it - Nonsense, meaningless stuff, and stuff with meaning that, beyond a certain point, does not amount to a hill of beans. Stuff that distracts us from what is really important. Stuff that keeps our focus away from Christ and His will. Stuff that keeps us from putting things in perspective.
Money, sports, politics. Too much focus on making money and achieving worldly ‘success’. Now, there is nothing wrong with doing well, and making a nice living. Nothing at all. And, money is not evil. Money is an abstract thing, paper, metal. You can do great things with it. You can feed and clothe your family. You can help other folks out. You can support your parish. Nothing wrong with any of that. Where it’s wrong is when you start making it your God. When you put the love of it ahead of your relationship to Christ and to others. It’s a fine line, and easy to cross.
Sports, yes, sports. Now, I like football, baseball, hockey, all of it. But, to many, it’s importance is way out of whack. Fistfights in the stands. Skipping work and Mass to catch a game. Seeing sports stars as all wise heros instead of the fallable human beings they are, just with different gifts and blessing than others. In my now retired career, I made legal decisions regarding Unemployment Compensation for those who separated for ‘other’ reasons. Living in western Pennsylvania, one would be shocked at those who didn’t go to work and got fired because they didn’t want to miss a Steeler game, or those who got fired because they were too distraught to go to work after a loss. Nonsense.
And, politics. Folks are obsessed by it. Friendships have been lost over it. You see folks on TV with a constant drumbeat of arguing as if it’s the most important thing in the world. We watch TV pundits spending hours analyzing the President’s ‘handshake’. C’mon, get real.
All distractions. The evil one is good at creating them, and we are good at falling into the trap. By God’s grace, there is a very viable Pro Life movement afoot now....and the evil one is railing against it, Big time. And he’s using money, politics and relativism to make his point. And, it’s working. We’ve degraded life and death, a gift from God, into a political movement. It's Evil, big time evil.
As I write this, I am listening to a couple of talking heads discuss the Charlie Gard situation, the little baby in Britain whose parents wish to bring him to the USA for experimental treatment, but the legal system will not allow it. Appalling. The one pundit on TV is saying how there may not be any ‘benefit’ to little Charlie’s life, it isn’t worth the time and effort to invest in. I think, ‘Are you kidding me? Seriously? This is a child, a young boy conceived in love, created in God’s image, and you question the ‘benefit’ of his life? Really? Scotty, beam me up’....this is what we’ve come down to.
Now, we’ve had crisis before. I know that. This attitude, this ‘we can live without God’ viewpoint has been around for years, and centuries. It’s easy, easy to get discouraged. Sometimes it is real easy.
But, then I break out my Rosary, and I pray it, and it reminds me of who is actually running the show. Who is going to have the final say on each of us. And, it won’t be a TV pundit.
Pray that Rosary. Remember Our Lady’s promise at Fatima. “In the end, my Immaculate heart will triumph”. It’s a fact. Take it to the bank.
St. Maxmillian Kolbe had the best saying, it’s one I pray I can live by each day. “I see Mary everywhere. I see troubles nowhere”
Trust and pray. It’s good advice.
God Bless.
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About the Author
I am married and we have raised three terrific kids, all grown. I have done everything from work in coal mines, work in New York City in the business sector, work instructing the mentally handicapped, and performed service for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
I have recently retired from my "day job", and enjoy writing.
I have a theology degree, one from the "school of hard knocks", and a formal degree from Mt. Aloysius College in Cresson, Pa., which I obtained at the age of 47.
I have been involved in motorsports for many decades, and continue to write about it in various publications. I am also the North Central Director for Chrysler Power Magazine.
However, I spend a lot of time in our local parish, and diocese, and instruct both youth and adult classes. I am totally devoted to Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and tell others if you want to remain close to Christ, remain close to His Mother. It's the best way.
