Loretta Castorini 'reflect on your life'

       I have a rule of thumb that I use at work, perhaps in life. In self reflection I have heard myself say "No way" , "I would never do that" or "it can't be done". I stop for a second if I ever hear myself saying any of those phrases because invariably 'Yes way' , I wind up doing "it" and of course 'mission accomplished'. My cock surety invariably means I am going to eat those words.

       A coworker approached me recently and noted she had received a camera ticket in the mail. This summons pointed to three pictures, a fine to be paid and an invitation to watch the offense on line by going to a specific web address. My friend noted she would never blow off a stop sign all the time wondering how she would challenge the hefty fine. On a lark we went to the web site and an incredibly clear video showed her approaching a red light and going right on red. Sadly for her, there was no stop and in fact there was only a barely perceptible attempt to slow down. She almost literally raced through the red light. I assumes it was the hour of day and that she had in fact looked around to see if there was any other traffic ( unlikely at that hour of the morning ). Guilty as charged! We had a hearty laugh over her insistence that "I'd never do that!" but she had.

      I think I am capable of a lot of things, not always good, hopefully never evil. I might be ignorant of a situation, lazy, uninformed, need conversion or a host of other reasons but sometimes I do things, had I really thought something through, I should not or never dreamed I would do. Anyone could possibly say "and you call yourself a Christian?!" Well, I don't think anyone would really say that to me. However, there are many out there that would proclaim being gay and a Christian is impossible and while they might not say anything to my face they are convinced I am going to hell. I am not so convinced of that at all and in fact if I do, I believe I might find some of my accusers right there in the fires with me if only for being judgmental.

      Whoever says, ‘I am in the light’, while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness. Ignatian spirituality would have us 'examen' our actions all day long as part of our ongoing process to wholeness and holiness.  The fact is, it is difficult for us to say we are one thing and reconcile some of our actions that seem to point to a totally different state of being or faith.  You can't love Jesus and say you are part of 'the Light' and hate your neighbors, judge them and disrespect whole groups of people. But we do tend to rationalize don't we? We could also point to people who love to cherry pick scripture to allay their fears that they are bad people and that their actions are justified by God. 

       I am reminded once again of one of my favorite movies where Loretta Castrini confesses to a priest that she has slept with the "brother of my fiance". The Priest grants absolution and tells Loretta to 'reflect on your life'.  I am not necessarily advocating we become Ignatians but it seems we all could use a bit of reflection on our actions during the day so that we can align or actions with our stated beliefs. 

1 John 2:7-17

Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word that you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new commandment that is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says, ‘I am in the light’, while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates another believer is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness. 

I am writing to you, little children,

   because your sins are forgiven on account of his name. 

I am writing to you, fathers,

   because you know him who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young people,

   because you have conquered the evil one. 

I write to you, children,

   because you know the Father.

I write to you, fathers,

   because you know him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young people,

   because you are strong

   and the word of God abides in you,

     and you have overcome the evil one.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷And the world and its desire^* are passing away, but those who do the will of God live for ever.