Right Over Left
Have you ever noticed that everything about the priest’s vestments and his gestures all proceed from the right over the left. In the holy mass the right represents the spiritual while the left the human. Our Lord is both human and divine: truly man but always God. Every story has two key aspects in which the human expresses something quite spiritual. Take, for instance, the opening line of the story of Jesus crossing the sea of Galilee to come to his native city of Capharnuam. Jesus is crossing in the boat signifies that the Son of God is with the church and guiding it through the waves of the world to reach theshores of eternity. Jesus is a citizen of this world while remaining at the Father’s side.
Now the conflict approaches when Jesus in the company of the Pharisees and Sadducees is presented with a paralytic on a mat carried by friends whose faith leads them to inter-cede for this paralyzed man. First, the divine speaks saying, “Be of good cheer, son, thy sins are forgiven thee.” These words cause an immediate reaction in the Jewish elite who think “Who can forgive sins but only God.” They have great intuition but fail to recognize the obvious in our Lord.
After reading their thoughts Our Lord asks the question “Which is easier to say, ‘Thy sins are forgiven’ or ‘arise and walk’.” But that you might know that the Son of Man has power to forgive sins. Now he turns to the paralytic saying “Arise and take thy mat and go on your way.” The spiritual cure precedes the physical. The man is more intent on the physical than the spiritual. This is the problem the church faces today and we as individuals in the Mystical Body of Christ do also.
The Right must dominate over the left: the spiritual must assume the human. The priority of the soul is to become aware of the divine presence in all aspects of our daily life. In our days we are to focus on sanctity over any other occupations. The work of holiness is a work which focuses on our being and not on our having. To be another Christ is to seek to do the Father’s will within the boat of the Church. Sure we are crossing over waves from a stormy sea but with Jesus at the helm all will be well.
Now it is important to understand that we do not enter heaven because we just want to but rather because we decide now and forever to be the saint that God wants us to be. Sanctity is easy to express for it is simply doing the will of God and finding our peace in that will. Our Lord has expressed His Sacred Heart’s desires to us and presented us with both His Heart and the Immaculate Heart of our Lady to support our effort to do the Father’s will. The saints have presented their program to us as well. First, love of the Blessed Sacrament dictates my relationship to Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. Second, the Love of our Lady embraces our mind and heart through the mysteries of the most holy rosary. Third, a love for Holy Church of all times, and not the apostate Church functioning in Rome at present. We love the church characterized by its unity in doctrine and in sacrifice; its holiness in a world so material; its Catholic nature which is to draw all men to the side of Christ and its apostolic desire to convert the world to the happiness of knowing the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
There is only one way to sanctity and only sanctity puts us in heaven. So we must pray for the paralytics among us whom are in need of intercession to set them free. We must not take up the example of the elite Jew and exude the Satanic pride that will not acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God. Let us be faithful though the bark of Peter Is being torn apart for in the end the “Immaculate Heart of Mary will triumph.” Claim the victory and yield all to gain the pearl of holiness.
In the hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
Fr. Richard Voigt, S.D.B.
P.S. It seems as though my progress after the heart repair now moves to the groin which apparently suffered from some bacteria or other. I am taking antibiotics to kill that creature and hopefully will not have to return to the hospital for the surgeons to clean it out. Right now it seems to be shrinking and the oozing is lessening. Thanks for your prayers and kind wishes. God’s will be done there are many souls to save through whatever sacrifice comes our way.
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