Prodigal

 

You're probably wondering why anyone reads the appalling Atlantic, much less giving its Editor access to sensitive defense information. Or perhaps you're pondering the World Ice Theory, what caused the Younger Dryas megafauna extinction event, and whether catastrophism is preferable to uniformitarianism. Or whatever, but here at the Compound we're reflecting on the parable of the Prodigal Son. Here's St. Justin Popovic:

Only the gospel of Christ fully knows the mystery of sin and the problem of sin and everything which hides within it. The prodigal son of the Gospel is the perfect example of the repentant sinner. The Gospel shows us that man, through his free will, can share his life with Earth and with Heaven, with Satan and with God, with paradise and with hell. Sin gradually strips man of everything divine in him, paralyzes his every divine inclination and desire, until it finally throws him into the bosom of Satan. And then man reaches the plight of grazing the swine of his master, the Devil. The swine are passions, which are always greedy and gluttonous. In such a life, the unfortunate man is nothing more than insane. In a shocking parable of the Gospel, the Lord says about the prodigal son, ‘he came to himself,’ (Luke 15:17) How did he come to himself? He came to himself through repentance. Through sin, man becomes mad, insane. Every sin, even the most seemingly insignificant one, is always an insanity of the soul. Through repentance, man comes to his senses becomes complete again, comes to himself. Then he cries out loud to God, runs to Him, and cries towards Heaven, ‘Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and in thy sight’ (Luke 15:21). And what is the heavenly Father doing? He is always infinitely merciful upon seeing His child in a state of repentance. He has compassion for him, runs, embraces him, and kisses him. He orders His heavenly hosts, the holy angels: ‘Bring forth the best robe and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: for this is My son who was dead, and is alive again; and he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.’ (Luke 16:22-24) And this is taking place for each and every one of us, and for the sake of every sinner who repents. Namely, joy and happiness is taking place in the heaven of the All-merciful Lord and God, and together with Him, all of the holy angels.

 

Every sin, even the most seemingly insignificant one, is always an insanity of the soul. Yes indeed, but never forget the mercy and love of God, which runs out to meet the repentant sinner.

God Bless,

LSP

A Short Sunday Reflection

 

“What then is this that is written," says Jesus in the Temple to his enemies, the High Priests and Scribes, "'The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but when it falls on anyone it will crush him.”

At that moment the evil tenants of the vineyard decide to kill the heir, they reject the stone and are, as a matter of fact, crushed or pulverized some thirty years later by the Romans. And a new foundation is established, the vineyard of the Church is given to new tenants, Jews and Gentiles united to God as walls to a cornerstone in Christ. Our Lord's prophecy was fulfilled and it speaks with power today.

Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but when it falls on anyone it will crush him. 

Terrifying. You cannot go against God, the rock of reality itself, and escape destruction. Witness our present anti-culture which is hurtling fast into insanity, to say nothing of wicked tenants, those wolves in sheep's clothing, those false prophets, those apostate mutineers who deny the Faith once delivered. Who champion behavior explicitly condemned in the revealed Word of God and are silent or complicit in the face of godless secularism with all its increasing tyranny.

They will have their reward, they fell upon the rock and will be destroyed. The late Bishop Terwilliger put it well, "If you go against the Holy Spirit you will be relentlessly destroyed by that same Spirit." And so to us. 

Are we not placed by God as tenants of the vineyard of our souls, the Church writ most intimately, responsible for producing the good fruit of righteousness, of faith and love? We are, and yet we sin. "Oh wretched man that I am," says the Apostle and so do we in the face of our own imperfection reflected in the light of divine truth.

Knowing this, and know it we must, what choice do we have but to repent like the Prodigal and return to the Lord crying out for mercy. He, while we are still a long way out, there's comfort in that, runs to embrace us and, forgiving our sins, reclothes us in the garments of sanctity and raises us up to new life. Take heart.

And here endeth the lesson except to say several ranchers came up after the Mass and said, "You know, LSP, I learned something. I'd always thought 'fall upon the rock' meant tripping over it, like stubbing your toe. Never thought it meant 'fall upon' as in 'fall upon your enemy.' Thank you for that."

They're a kinetic bunch, I tell you.

Ride on,

LSP