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How Shall We Judge?: Weekly Message for 11-08-2022
Dear Friends in Christ,
Jesus said… ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6)
In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Two Towers, Éomer poses a vital question:
“The world is all grown strange… How shall a man judge what to do in such times?”
Indeed. In a world all grown strange, how shall we judge what to do? And Aragorn’s answer rings true, because it is true:
“As he ever has judged… Good and ill have not changed since yesteryear; nor are they one thing among Elves and Dwarves, and another among men. It is a man’s part to discern them.”
Good and evil have not changed, nor are they one thing for one person and another for someone else. Jesus Christ is still the Way, the Truth, and the Life; his words are spirit and life, and shall not pass away.
In a world all grown strange, may the Lord grant us the wisdom to discern good from evil, and the courage to believe, to live, and to proclaim what is truly right.
In Christ,
Fr. John Pietropaoli
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Thanks for this. I find it very hard to discern from the way things are presented in the media and yet, I also find it difficult to hear God’s voice.
Dan, this is, I think, something with which we all struggle. It seems to me that Tolkien’s point is especially relevant in a world in which all interpretations are allegedly equally valid, and the glut of contrasting opinions threatens to overwhelm us. I think Tolkien is asking “What are the perennial pillars which have always stood and always will stand?” Some that come to mind are Scripture, the Ten Commandments, the teachings of the Christ in and through his Church, our responsibilities in our state of life. In other words, reality itself… In times of confusion it’s also especially important to ask “What do I actually have control over?” Perhaps I can choose one thing and start there. God bless you, Fr. John