Continuation of the reading of the writings of the Pope Emeritus proves to be most rewarding. As a trad, I am justly reminded by him in the book I have been reading this week, that rules and regulations do not save us. The security people seek in either traditional liturgies or in their own worlds is not the same as the virtue of hope.
Only the virtue of hope leads to love, whereas relying on rules and regulations to bring one to heaven is the position of the Pharisee. The Pope Emeritus states this:
"The denial of hope in favor of security that we are faced with here rests on teh inability to bear the tension of waiting for what is to come and to abandon oneself to God's goodness."
Control freaks do not understand that their worlds, which they think are secure, deny entrance to the God Who is Love. Benedict notes that this attitude is a type of Pelagianism, wherein a person hardens the heart against himself, others and God.
I know too many people who fall into this category, wanting the security of visions, rules, even cults.
They are afraid of love.
The Pope Emeritus states that "The core of this Pelagianism is a religion without love that in this way degenerates into a sad and miserable caricature of religion."
Egos get in the way. Benedict writes that, "the egotistic person does not want to entrust himself or herself to its kind of certainty that can always only be a certainty of dialogue." He is referring to hope and love.
The person seeking security thinks he is saved by works. However, risk is necessary in order to be open to love. Love is risk, and security lies in works. Those who want security, do not want fear of the Lord-they want to feel without courage and live without hope.
Those seeking security only want to be approved, to have others make a good opinion of them, to be "slaves of appearance."
I grew up in a state where appearance was more important than truth in many families and among many clergyman. Appearances cause a dying of the soul, as the soul must deny truth to "keep up appearances."
Those who know me know that I am a free spirit, not caring about appearances, if these appearances cause deceit or lying to one's self.
But, then, I know God loves me as I am and He wants to purify my soul so that what is seen, who is seen is God, not me.
Benedict states that "Opinion, untruth gains domination." Such is the hypocrisy of so many Church leaders.
Such could be my own hypocrisy if I did not submit to the purification of the senses and the soul...
to be continued...