I am surrounded by agnostics. Most are practicing aetheists, a subject I have covered in this blog many times.
This past weekend, (despite being in the grip of a virus, which I still have, so keep praying for me), I have been reading yet another fantastic book by the Pope Emeritus, which he wrote when he was my age. That his holiness shines forth from this book reminds me of how far I need to go. May God give me years to continue purgation.
The book, The Yes of Jesus Christ, is not new. It was first published in 1989, but shows this holy man to be a prophet, always ahead of his time.
Firstly, I want to thank E.G. for sending me this book as an Easter pressie.
Secondly, I shall try to do a little review of some of the main points of this book.
However, for this initial posting, I want to refer to the first chapter, which is on Faith. I shall cover the section on Hope and Love later.
Four short points do not do justice to this "death by chocolate" chapter, but here goes.
One, faith is a gift natural to all men and women by the fact that we are human. We have faith in many things, notes the Pope Emeritus, and live in a society where faith is a necessary component of life. In fact, in order to have any type of community, one must have a natural faith in the human being to be faithful, in friendship, in common goals.
The lack of natural faith marks the narcissist.
Two, the believer must be the person who is "a countervailing force against the powers that suppress the truth, against this wall of prejudice that blocks our view of God." What these means is that the Catholic life must show a living faith in the world, a faith which is based on truth and not the "isms". Of course, the "isms" of secularism, Marxist, agnosticism, deny what is natural to all men and women-the need for God. The need for God is natural to all, and these "isms" create counterfeit and completely false ideologies based on deceit. And, the Catholic position is the light of a living faith must speak to the world. We are alone in this.
Two, "...God does not reveal himself to the isolated ego and individualistic isolation: being related to God is tied up with being related to our brothers and sisters, with communion with them."
The agnostic is the arch-individualistic, self-centered, person, who is actually out of touch with reality. The Pope Emeritus was describing in 1989 the state of affairs we see today-a nation of prideful people, not willing to cooperate in humility and grace.
The Pope Emeritus notes that the person who loves Truth, loves God and, therefore, other people.
The third point resonates with me and my own life. One must "break through" to God by making hard decisions for Truth. One breaks through the secularism and evil of the world to find God, in one's personal relationship with Him and in the community.
to be continued....